Odds and Ends
by Stardust585
Summary: Now that Kurt and Finn are brothers, they have certain new duties – like driving each other insane while having great fun together. Or the other way round. A series of Furt vignettes to fill in the gaps in their relationship. ON MY WAY CHAP UP
1. Rock, Paper, Scissors

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer**: No, nothing. It's all Ryan Murphy's and Fox's.

**A/N**: I really miss Kurt/Finn friend-and-sort-of-brotherly bond this season and these scenes just kept popping in my head... The idea is these will be very short (max. 200 words – oh, this will be a challenge!), just single scenes mostly, completely unrelated and random. And hopefully funny;)

**EDIT**: For anyone starting this story now, I wanted to let you know I had to relinquish the 200 word limit b/c it really wasn't doable...so be warned, as of chapter 5, those are longer. I just couldn't fit in all the Furtness in so few words;D

* * *

**Rock, Paper, Scissors**

"Not show tunes again!" Finn whined as he got into Kurt's Navigator and the music his almost-stepbrother was playing hit him. A woman was singing high. Really high. He winced. People shouldn't be allowed to sing like that.

"Ok. Fine." Kurt pouted. "How about _You're Walking Home Alone Today_ by The Door's There?"

"Hey, I love The Doors!" Finn exclaimed. Then he looked at Kurt. His look was like a needle and he felt like a balloon. "You're way too mean for a brother," he huffed.

"Mean? If I was any nicer, I'd have to start throwing myself in the dumpsters so that Azimio and Karofsky don't break a sweat doing it!"

Finn crossed his hands on his chest and stared ahead. Kurt rolled his eyes. He knew he was going to sulk the rest of the day if they didn't solve this now.

"How about rock, paper, scissors?" he asked innocently.

"No way! You always win!" Finn objected.

"That's the point," Kurt said haughtily. "But you could make it more difficult for me if you didn't always pick rock."

"You do the same – you always pick paper!"

"Really, Finn?" he said incredulously but seeing the serious look on his almost-stepbrother's face, he sighed. "Nope, can't fight with this logic," he added wryly. "Inexorably persuasive."

"I have no idea what that means. But we're not playing rock, paper, scissors."

* * *

So, I hope you liked this bit of Finn-Kurtishness;) If you have any ideas for Kurt/Finn scenes, feel free to share! I've got a couple more in store but I'd love to hear yours:)

Have a good day, everyone! And yay for a new eppy this evening!


	2. Post Its

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **No, nothing. It's all Ryan Murphy's and Fox's.

**A/N: **Thanks so much to everyone who read, faved, alerted:) I hope you like this one, too!

* * *

**Post-Its**

"Really, Finn? Post its. With smiley faces," Kurt said taking one off his locker with a decisive snap before anyone saw it.

He had already found several in his coat pocket, history book and, to his mortification, his cosmetic bag. How and when Finn put them there he had no idea. They weren't there this morning when he packed. Finn was turning out surprisingly sneaky for a 6'3" football player.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for this morning."

"With this?" Kurt held the smiley up to him. "Are you ten?"

"I wanted to text you but I forgot my phone."

"How could you forget it? I hit you in the forehead with it when it went off at _five in the morning_."

"It fell under the bed."

"I wish you'd done the same," Kurt retorted. "And stayed there to keep it company."

"I forgot to change the time, ok! I'm sorry! How many post-its will it take to stop you sulking?"

Kurt gave him an evil look. "No more. You're forgiven and I'm totally giving up my plan of shoving your phone down your throat when we get home," he added pleasantly.

Finn looked at him for a while in silence. Then he smiled happily. "Cool."

* * *

This is a couple of words plus, hope you don't mind – I really had to restrain myself or it would have turned into a full blown one-shot;) There will be a sequel, though, maybe with Finn learning the hard way Kurt isn't exactly the forgiving type? ^_^

A new chapter coming to a computer near you tomorrow:) But now I'm off to watch my TiVoed yesterday's eppy!


	3. Smiley Face

**Odds And Ends**

**A/N: **Usually these pieces aren't connected but this idea for a follow up to the last chapter wouldn't leave me alone...so here it is, enjoy;)

* * *

**Smiley Face**

"Hi Kurt." Finn waved his phone coming up to him in the corridor.

"My, you haven't forgotten it today."

"You almost shoved it down my throat this morning."

"But you still refused to choke on it," Kurt said under his breath with a wry pout. Finn looked at him quizzically and Kurt sighed. "I was just preventing another day of post-it love."

"You didn't like my notes?" Finn asked with genuine disappointment.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Loved them. So did Karofsky and Azimio when they drew a smiley face on my forehead. Thank Gucci all they had on them were crayons." He absent-mindedly rubbed his still reddened forehead.

Finn's eyes flashed with anger. "I'll get Puck and we'll give _them_ smiley faces. Only we'll have markers. And their faces won't be very smiley."

"You don't have to do this, Finn. It's no big deal."

Finn took one look at him, and there was genuine care and understanding in his eyes that left Kurt touched and surprised.

"Yes, it is and yes, I have to. You're my brother and my friend. And I look out for my family."

Kurt gave him a measured look and Finn was sure he was thinking of a way to talk him out of it. Then Kurt's expression changed. "Take pictures."

* * *

This has taken a life of its own and I kinda went with it. It's a bit more serious, I hope it's still ok and you like it!


	4. Finn's Frisbee Frenzy

**Odds And Ends**

**A/N: **Big thanks to everyone who reviews, faves and alerts! And a special thanks to Bexta03 for giving me the idea for this!

* * *

**Finn's Frisbee Frenzy**

"Just…don't panic," Finn said in a shaky voice looking around the basement frantically.

Their parents were out and they were enjoying a free evening. Or rather had been until Finn's ADD didn't come to life and he didn't dig up a Frisbee from somewhere. Kurt knew it was a bad idea the moment he saw that goofy grin on his face. Then he saw stars as the disc hit him straight in the forehead.

"Don't panic."

Kurt eyed him critically. The pain wasn't bad and the cut, although bleeding quite impressively, was small. The only thing that _had_ been hurt were his pride and Versace shirt, now covered in blood. Finn would pay for that but right now Kurt found the sight of him thrashing around the den in a state of panic kinda amusing. .

"Finn, I'm perfectly ca…"

"Relax, Kurt," Finn continued as if Kurt hadn't spoken. "I'm going to take care of this."

"Now I think I'm going to panic."

"We have to take you to the ER. Where are your car keys?"

"I'm _fine_. And you're not driving my baby."

"It's that or…or else."

"Or else _what_?" Kurt turned away from him and started rummaging for gauze and antiseptic lotion. Suddenly up became down.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Kurt screeched as Finn threw him over his shoulder. "PUT ME DOWN! I DON'T LIKE BEING OFF THE GROUND!"

"You wanted to know what the 'or else' is. Now give me the keys...or else else."

With friends like Finn who needed enemies?

* * *

Who indeed? Another bit of Kinn randomness, I hope you liked this!


	5. Karate Kid

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still nothing.

**A/N: **I had to take the weekend off but to make it up, here's a piece three times as long as usual;) I hope you don't mind but this simply wrote itself and refused to be limited to 200 words;) Also, I really like Klaine and thought I'd incorporate it into the story a bit.

* * *

**Karate Kid**

Kurt looked in the mirror smoothing his already perfectly styled hair. His glance wandered and he caught Finn's glance boring a whole in his back. There was a look on his face Kurt didn't see often. His stepbrother was looking _thoughtful_.

Kurt sighed and swiveled on his chair to face him.

"What is it, Finn?" he said with exasperation. "If you want to voice your opinion about my seeing Blaine tonight _again_, please don't. I already got what you think from the first ten times."

"It's just...boys this age can be..." Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and Finn squirmed under his gaze but ploughed on. "...they can be sneaky and all." Then his eyes lighted up. "Listen, if he tries anything funny, I've got this great karate move Puck taught me that I can show you."

Kurt rolled his eyes at Finn's version of brotherly overprotectiveness he found himself the unwilling subject of ever since his step-brother found out about his date with Blaine. He knew Finn could be annoying but now he was reaching new levels Kurt had never suspected him of.

"Finn, Puck wouldn't know karate if it hit him in the face and introduced itself," he snapped. "And it so happens that I'm a boy _this age_, too."

"I know but-" Finn was turning nine shades of red now and Kurt considered putting him out of his misery but thought better of it. This was turning out interesting. "-you're my little bro," he finished in a small voice.

"I'm two months older than you, Finn," Kurt remarked, though his tone was softer. "If you want something to worry about, think about your date with Rachel."

"I blew it off," Finn said and didn't look him in the eye, suddenly very interested in his bag of Cheetos.

Kurt suppressed the 'good for you' reply as well as the urge to pry the chips from his hands and give him a speech on the nutritional value of snacks.

"Why?"

"Homework."

Kurt put his hands on his hips. "Finn Hudson, you're staying home to do homework as much as I'm going out to wrestle a bear in the nearest trucker bar. You'll lurk in here until I don't leave and then you'll take my car to drive over to Puck's, won't you?"

"You know about that?"

"You've just told me," Kurt said pointedly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you're lucky I'm in a hurry now."

"Kurt, I'm sorry. And I don't want to take your car. I just want to be home tonight."

Kurt felt that extracting teeth out of his own jaw with tweezers would be easier than extracting any coherent reply out of Finn.

"Why?"

Finn looked at him knowing Kurt wouldn't let this go. "In case you needed help or support or someone to kick this Blaine kid's ass."

Kurt's eyebrows threatened to reach his hairline as he took a while to take in Finn's words. He was so used to doing it alone and fighting his own battles that he didn't know how to react. His first impulse was to tell Finn he didn't need his help, thank you, he could take care of himself just fine. As Finn's words began to sink in, though, he found it oddly comforting to know his almost stepbrother would do that for him. That there wasn't only Blaine on his side. Finn would never get what high school was like for him the way Blaine did but Kurt saw he was really trying, and however unjustified and silly Finn's fears were, his concern was genuine and touching.

"Channeling your inner knight in shining armour, Finn?" Kurt finally said, though the sarcastic sting in his voice was gone.

"I'd prefer Superman. Or Iron Man," Finn mumbled turning redder. "Just...call if you need help, ok?"

"And you'll get into _my_ car and come to the rescue."

"I haven't figured out that part yet but something like that." Finn grinned.

Kurt shook his head and headed upstairs. He was almost at the door when he heard a crash. He turned back and peered down.

Finn was standing in the middle of the room over the remains of a broken lamp.

"You were trying that karate move, weren't you? On my new lamp."

"I had to have something to aim at! And it's big and creepy and..."

"…and now you have to buy me a new one, Karate Kid," Kurt cut in. He was about to finally leave the den when he turned once again. "Oh, and Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?"

Kurt smiled at him. "For being you."

"Does this mean I don't have to buy you the lamp back?"

* * *

I hope you liked this and have a great week, everyone!


	6. Parent Trap

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still nothing.

**A/N:** I'm glad you liked yesterday's bit, today I'm back to the usual shorter Kurt/Finn random madness;D Hope you'll enjoy it!

Also, I wanted to dedicate this one to _Wing Moon _- I hope this one makes you smile, too!

* * *

**Parent Trap**

"Finn, code red," Kurt announced tugging out the earbuds from Finn's ears. "We're going out. Now."

"Wait, what?" Finn sat bolt upright, almost getting entangled in his own long legs and tumbling off the bed in the process. He watched his very agitated, very flushed stepbrother move around the room like an angry bee. Considering the crazy striped outfit Kurt had on, the comparison wasn't far off. "What's going on? Has there been a bomb attack or an earthquake or something?"

"Really?" Kurt rolled his eyes and reached for his messenger bag. "If it was _only_ something so minor. Now get up."

Finn stood up in a daze, and continued to stare at his stepbrother frantically moving around the den. "Do I need to take my toothbrush?"

Kurt threw him a sideways glance and finally a small smile graced his lips.

"That certainly wouldn't hurt. But your nonexistent oral hygiene will have to wait till we get back from the store."

Finn groaned. "Do I have to go with you?" he whined as he followed Kurt upstairs. "What do you need me for?"

"That is a question for the ages," Kurt retorted airily and shot him a sharp look. "Believe me, I'm doing you a favour."

"A favour would be if you brought me back a bag of Doritos for the ones you dumped in the trash this morning. Again." Finn looked at him reproachfully.

Kurt returned the glare. "And you actually had to survive a healthy, wholesome breakfast for once. How horrible of me."

"There was nothing healthy or whole in that rabbit munchy thing you gave me."

"It's called muesli and it's good for you."

"You know what, mussel boy? I will go with you. And you'll have to pry the Doritos out of my cold, dead hands this time."

Kurt allowed himself a dramatic sigh.

"I'll tell Mom and Burt we're going," Finn said, pushing his way into the master bedroom.

"No!" Kurt grabbed his arm but it was too late and they both tumbled into the room.

With a look of utter horror on his face, Finn dragged Kurt out and shut the door.

"You could have warned me, dude! I'll be scarred for life now!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "What part of 'code red' didn't you understand?"

"You said it was an earthquake!"

Sometimes Finn behaved like he had the brain of a four-year-old boy, and one Kurt could bet the kid was glad to get rid of. Deciding there was no use explaining to Finn there were no earthquakes in Ohio, he arched an eyebrow at him.

"Can we go now or do you need to get us into another embarrassing situation first?"

Finn gulped. They almost ran out of the house.

"So...how about we hit the movies?" Finn asked after an uncomfortably long silence as they sat in the Navigator.

"I've got to get some bleach first."

"Why?"

"Cause there isn't enough bleach in the house to get the memory out of my head."

"There isn't enough in the whole world," Finn mumbled somberly.

* * *

This came out longer than I expected but when I started to write, those two just wouldn't let me take a break;) I hope you don't mind and enjoyed it!

I'm going away on a two-day trip today so there won't be any updates tomorrow and on Thursday (I won't be able to watch today's eppy till Friday!) but come Friday, expect a new bit of Kinn tough love;D


	7. The Hangover

**Odds And Ends**

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! I'm sorry for the delay but my trip turned into a four-day event and I couldn't post any faster...so this piece is longer to make up for it but also b/c I've just seen this week's eppy and, most importantly, the promo for the next week's one and I'm in Kinn – or maybe Furt? – heaven! We'll finally get some brotherly moments! Yay!

* * *

**The Hangover**

_Straight line. Don't barf. Straight line..._Kurt repeated under his breath over and over as he trundled along the short yet unimaginably long stretch of path leading up to his house.

Suddenly a shadow moved behind the window. With less than his usual grace, he threw himself into the bushes along the path. He was this drunk only once in his life before and that didn't end up well. Especially for Ms. Pillsbury's shoes. And his Vogue subscription, which his dad had cancelled for a whole six months. Despite his supposed ignorance, Burt Hummel did know his son surprisingly well. So this time, Kurt wasn't putting his dad's knowledge to test. He turned onto his back and looked at the starry sky, his eyelids getting heavy. He was seriously considering falling asleep there and then when his phone buzzed angrily in his pocket. It could only be one person and Kurt knew he had to take it. After some difficulties with locating the answer button, he finally found it.

"Where are you?" came Finn's voice from the other end.

"In Wonderland," Kurt slurred closing his eyes.

"Not funny, dude. Your dad's going to kill us both if he finds out you're still not home. And my mum's gonna help. She really knows her way around knives and this one time..."

"Finn, stop. You're making my head hurt," Kurt cut him off. "I'm outside the house. In this beautiful and strangely comfortable bush of azaleas."

"Of _what_?"

Trust Finn to focus on the most important thing.

"Never mind," Kurt sighed.

There was a silence and Kurt could almost see the cogs and wheels in Finn's head turning.

"Did you say you're outside the house? _Our _house? Blaine leave you there?"

"Can we leave this round of _Moment Of Truth_ for when my head's not trying to separate itself from the rest, and my stomach stops trying out for the Olympics gymnastics team?"

"Dude, have you been abducted by aliens? Are they taking your stomach out?"

Kurt actually took a moment to look at the phone incredulously. Then his stomach did another somersault. "I wish they were," he muttered.

"Hang on, I'm going to get you."

"No need. I'll just stay here...it's comfy," Kurt mumbled away into the phone, not aware Finn had already hung up.

Suddenly up became down as a pair of big hands put him up on his feet. "What the hell!"

Finn looked around and gave Kurt a once-over to make sure his head and all other body parts were in place just in case.

"Why are you lying here?" he asked watching his stepbrother with a mix of amusement and worry. "And destroying my mom's flowers?" Then he took in Kurt's disheveled state and glassy eyes. "Are you drunk, Kurt?"

"No. I just saw this bush and thought, wow, what a great place to sleep!"

"I'll be sure to let my mom know that," Finn said wryly. "Is that a _tie_ around your forehead?"

"It's Blaine's!" Kurt announced happily, and shook Finn's hands off as the other boy tried to pry it off his head. "Leave it! I'm a ninja!"

"Can you walk?" he asked resigned.

"Sure!" Kurt exclaimed and promptly fell on his ass as soon as Finn let his hold of him.

Finn shook his head wishing he'd taken his phone with him to record this. He turned Kurt around and led him to the house...only to have him barf on his shoes half-way.

"What the hell, dude!" he exclaimed kicking the soiled shoes off frantically. "Those are my favorite Verses!"

"Correction: were," Kurt said unfazed, trying to steady himself.

Finn took a deep breath. He loved his stepbrother, he really did, but right now he wanted to bash him over the head really bad. Then he looked at the miserable sight that Kurt was now and sighed. Bashing would have to wait. Right now Kurt needed his help. He put an arm around him and practically dragged him to the house.

"You're heavier than you look, dude!" Finn grunted as they made it to the door.

"It's my hips," Kurt announced happily.

"What?"

"Coach Sylvester says I've got hips like pears. But I like pears...they've got lots of nutritional values..."

And on it went. Kurt wouldn't shut up and before they got to the den, Finn got to the point when he was considering knocking him out. It was that or shoving the damned tie down Kurt's throat. Thankfully they got to the den without Burt or Carole noticing the noise and Finn was happy to dump Kurt on his bed. He threw the covers over him and Kurt seemed to fall asleep almost instantly. Finn sighed with relief and went over to his own bed.

Finn woke up to wailing and reached for his phone to turn the sound off. But it didn't stop. It took his groggy mind a moment to realize the sound was coming from Kurt's bed.

"Kurt?" he whispered.

No reply.

Finn got out of his bed and padded over to Kurt's. The sound had stopped and Kurt didn't move, hidden deep under his covers. Finn slowly pried them away.

"Turn off the light!" Kurt screeched and dove deeper under the cover.

Finn looked around at the closed curtains and the darkness in the den. "It's turned off, dude."

"You don't have to scream!" came the muffled voice from under the covers.

"I'm not...whatever. Listen, maybe you should skip school today?"

"I'm fine," Kurt enunciated and for the first time looked up from the blanket. He was ghastly white, there were blackish shadows under his eyes and Finn was positive he had never seen his hair in such a state before.

"You look like hell, dude. I'll tell Burt and my mom you're sick and..."

"No! They'll want to know what happened!"

"I'll make something up..."

"That's what I'm afraid of." He shot him a sideways look. "You were going to tell them I'd been abducted by the aliens, weren't you?"

"No," Finn denied but his expression said it all.

Kurt gave him a critical look. "At least you have your charming looks," he sighed.

Finn sat on the edge of Kurt's bed gingerly. "What _did _happen? I thought you were going to spend an evening with those Dalton kids."

"I did," Kurt replied curtly.

"I think I deserve a better explanation after what you did to my fave shoes."

Kurt's eyes widened. His memories from yesterday were hazy at best. "What did I do?"

"Let's just say I got a good look at what you had for supper last evening."

Kurt had the grace to blush. Then he groaned as a fit of dizziness got the better of him and he fell back onto the sheets.

"I think I deserve two weeks of using the Navigator instead of the one you promised for this. And I'm going to kill this Blaine dude for getting you home in such a state. For free."

"He wasn't the one to get me home. I think." Kurt strained his befuddled mind to get the details of yesterday from his mind, which refused to work properly. "He was in an even worse state. And before you get yourself worked up-" Kurt raised a hand in warning. "-they have sobriety patrol on campus and they drove me home."

"Sobriety patrol? What kind of a school _is _this?"

"A responsible one," Kurt rolled his eyes just as a wave of nausea hit him. "Can you go now? Unless you want to have another pair of shoes in technicolour."

Finn shifted his weight awkwardly, seeing Kurt was in a really bad state. "Want me to get you anything?" he asked.

"No."

He stared down at the lump under the covers.

"Okay," he said lamely and went upstairs.

He managed to come up with something better than aliens as an explanation and both Carole and Burt seemed to be satisfied but Finn had to offer to stay with him to make sure his mom didn't stay to take care of Kurt. Not that he could complain. Kurt slept through most of the day and he could play his Xbox and eat all the unhealthy food he wanted without his diva of a stepbrother biting his head off. Speaking of whom, Kurt seemed to be hiding and didn't pry his nose out of the den the whole day. Whenever Finn went down, Kurt was buried in his bed and didn't say a word to him. The only proof that he was alive down there was the disappearance of food Carole had ordered Finn to heat up for Kurt.

In the afternoon, Finn finally got bored of his games and decided to check up on him. He was going down the stairs when he saw Kurt coming out of the bathroom with his hair disheveled and wearing track pants and a tee, which was decidedly too big for him. Finn stared. He had never _ever_ seen Kurt like this before. It was like the other boy had shaken off his usual fancy armour and was allowing him to see a more vulnerable side of him. He found he liked this version of Kurt. He looked more...approachable and familiar like that.

"I borrowed your tee," Kurt said matter-of-factly ignoring Finn's stare.

"Um...no problem," Finn muttered, his eyes still glued to Kurt.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "If you don't stop staring, your eyeballs will fall out of their sockets."

"Sorry. It's just...since when do you even _own_ track pants?"

"I like slumming it from time to time," Kurt announced airily and went over to his bed. He buried himself under the covers again and turned his back to Finn.

Finn stared again. Then he shrugged and threw himself on his bed.

"I see you didn't go with aliens or Carole and my dad would have been all over me today," Kurt suddenly said.

"I told them all that stuff you put in your hair finally got to you and made you sick."

Kurt turned around in his bed, his blue eyes trained on his stepbrother. "And they believed you."

Finn shrugged. "Burt didn't seem surprised. And my mum was in a hurry and I don't think she was really listening. She told me to give you lots of hydrants," Finn frowned.

"_Hydrates_," Kurt corrected, feeling his lips turn upwards. Finn's expression remained blank. "Like water, Finn."

"So did she mean I had to get you water from a hydrant? Is it special? Like helps you get better and stuff?"

"When you're on fire it does," Kurt deadpanned.

In the time they had been living together Finn learned the meaning of the words 'sarcasm' and 'irony', and learned to appreciate Kurt's mastery in using them. He knew he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer and he really did walk into those things most of the time but he didn't mind. Not with Kurt. He knew his stepbrother didn't do this to make fun of him. Well, most of the time. So now he burst out laughing. Kurt followed suit and they were soon both rolling on their beds with laughter.

When they finally stopped, Kurt looked at him seriously. "Thanks for what you did, Finn. You're really cool."

"You're my little bro," Finn shrugged. "You'd do the same for me."

"You know I'm actually two months older, right?" Kurt asked and Finn grinned. "And yes, I would," the smaller boy continued seriously. "Except for the carrying, maybe," he added.

The next morning Finn woke up and this time it was thankfully to the sound of his alarm. Kurt was nowhere to be seen but when he looked around, his jaw fell. A brand new pair of red Coverses was sitting on his nightstand. There was a card attached to it, the message in Kurt's pretty, curly handwriting.

_For being my big brother._

_PS. This doesn't mean you can have the Navigator. And get your butt upstairs in five or I'm leaving for school without you._

Finn grinned. "I love you, too, Kurt," he said and put his new shoes on eagerly.

* * *

Well, this was longer than 250 words;) Just slightly;D I hope you don't mind but it's almost impossible to give these two justice in so few words. And I really got carried away by all the Kurt-Finn awesomeness coming this week:) I hope you liked this, and now you know what to do;D


	8. Peas in a Pod

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, nothing.

**A/N: **Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews, alerts, faves and reads! I'm really flattered and you've officially made my day! You rock, guys!

In anticipation for today's episode (however am I going to make it through work and classes today?), especially for you, here's a bit that will hopefully put you in the mood:D

* * *

**Peas in a Pod**

Finn shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably before he chanced another glance at his tuxedo-ed self in the mirror. He tried to tie his bowtie for like the fifth time but his fingers were shaking too much. Why was he so nervous? It wasn't like he was getting married or anything! He looked around the den, which looked like something had exploded in it. Even Kurt's usually sterilely clean side of the room was a colourful mess consisting of discarded menus, wedding gown designs, flower arrangement choices and things whose names Finn couldn't even pronounce. Kurt had been using lots of French words lately.

Suddenly he heard ringing and it took him a moment to realize it was the silence ringing in his ears. It was a sound he hadn't heard in a long time. The house had been hell on wheels for the last month ever since Kurt began Operation _Dessert Storm_. He got really pissed whenever Finn called their parents' wedding that but hey, if Kurt could force him in a tuxedo, make him deliver wedding invitations to all his creepy relatives and taste all the organic desserts for the reception (How could a dessert be healthy and non-fat? Wasn't there a law against that?), then he would at least express his freedom of speech. Even if he had to duck really fast afterwards.

He tugged at the bowtie again, knowing this supposed lull was only silence before the storm.

He still wasn't ready when Hurricane Kurt came crushing down the stairs ten minutes later.

Finn had to admit Kurt pulled the tuxedo off much better than he ever would. While he felt like an overgrown penguin, Kurt looked like was born in a tux. And his bowtie was tied into an immaculate knot.

Kurt took one look at Finn, and threw his hands in the air.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" he exclaimed. "We'll be late for church!"

"I'll be right there," Finn mumbled.

He turned back to the mirror and tried to give the bowtie another shot. Even if he didn't see it himself, the catty growl coming from behind would have informed him he wasn't doing a very good job.

"I can't watch this." Kurt walked up to him and pushed his hands away. "You're going to strangle yourself."

"It's your fault! You made me wear it!"

"My bad. I should have known any piece of clothing other than tee shirt and jeans would be a challenge," Kurt shot back, his hands working on the knot at Finn's throat.

"I could still change," Finn offered hopefully but one look from Kurt silenced him. His fingers moved swiftly and he was soon done.

"It's too tight!" Finn moaned as Kurt stepped away. "It's cutting the blood flow to my head!"

"Can you even tell the difference?" Kurt retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "And don't even think of touching it-" he added just as Finn's hands wandered up. "-or _I_ will cut the blood flow to your head. With an axe."

"Do we even _own _an axe?"

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

Finn's hands fell to his sides. "I just don't understand what's wrong with clip-ons!"

"Clip-ons are for ten-year-olds and pensioners. Also, they're _so _late ninties," Kurt added with a sassy toss of his hair. Finn didn't seem convinced. "Do you really want to have this discussion right now?"

"Not really."

"Good. Because you'd lose."

"Why? I'm bigger."

"I'm smarter."

"I'm sportier."

"I'm ignoring you."

He sighed seeing the blank look on Finn's face.

"You are such a child, Finn Hudson...You could be bigger than the Hulk for all I care, you'd still have to wear the bowtie. I won't let you ruin my whole meticulously planned wedding concept."

Finn decided to ignore the last argument since he didn't understand half of the words anyways, and decided now was the time to use the ace up his sleeve. "_And_ I have the keys to your car."

"_And_ I hate you."

Finn's face suddenly changed. He sat down on his bed, his expression unreadable.

"Finn? You ok?" Kurt stood over him. "You know I didn't mean…"

"I know, dude. It's not that. I mean…everything's gonna change from on. And I don't think I want it to," Finn said. "I mean, it's in a good way but…this is like, huge. And it happened so fast, I feel like I don't know what hit me. And not in a cool Fast And Furious kind of way. "

Kurt sat on the edge of Finn's bed next to him. He patted his shoulder gingerly. "It's my dad who's getting married today not you, remember? Where's this coming from, Finn? It's not like they're going to send us to a boarding school on the other side of the country and pretend we don't exist while they live the high life here."

"That's what they do with kids in Harry Potter," Finn mumbled somberly staring at the floor. Then he looked at Kurt. "And what if they do? Or decide to move? Or have another baby? Or get divorced? Or…"

"Whoa, hold your guns there, cowboy! Don't you think you're going a bit too fast?"

"I…" Finn stammered, searching for the right words. He rubbed at his eyes angrily. "It's just…I love you guys so much and it's the first time I've ever been in a complete, happy family…and I don't ever want this to change. Why do they have to change this? Aren't we good the way we are?"

Kurt smiled at him warmly. "Finn, they're just making this official. We'll no longer be 'sort-of family' but a _real _family."

Finn looked like he was having a light bulb moment, and Kurt chuckled. "Nothing that matters is going to change. We won't let it."

Finn held his pinky up. "Promise?"

Kurt shook his head, and hooked his pinky with Finn's. "Promise."

"How did you get to be so calm and wise about all this?"

Kurt let out a somewhat shaky laugh. "Me? Calm? Wise? Why do you think I've volunteered to prepare the wedding?"

"Because you like bossing people around?"

"It does help my nerves." Kurt shot him a smile. Then he sighed. "But the truth is-" he looked at Finn. "I jumped at doing this because it didn't leave me much time to actually think about all this. But I'm just as overwhelmed as you…and as scared. Or I was," he gave Finn a little nudge to the side. "I guess we just deal with it differently." He shrugged. "If you repeat this to anyone, I'll deny it, but I think on the inside we're more similar than we both think."

"Yeah," Finn grinned. "We're similar like…two dissimilar things in a pod."

Kurt chuckled. "Couldn't have put it better." Then he got up. "Now, we've got parents to marry. And if we don't get there on time, Carole will skin us and serve us as main course."

"As long as she allows me to take the bowtie off, I'm strangely fine with that."

* * *

I could kiss Ryan Murphy for actually making this wedding happen! This is such a wonderful premise, I could write forever about this but I'll let your eyes rest now, and maybe do a follow-up tomorrow:) We'll see how today's eppy goes [jumps up and down excitedly, her colleague looks at her strangely].

I hope you've enjoyed this, you know what to do now:D Have a Glee-ful day, everyone!


	9. Creature from the Black Lagoon Meets Bar

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Glee…oh, don't even get me started.

**A/N: **Well, for the first forty minutes of watching 'Furt', I was in heaven. And then the last two minutes happened…with Kurt leaving, this has become a bit AU but I decided to keep it this way. I want this to be light and easy and leave angst for other stories. I think we all need a bit of cheering up (even though we all know Kurt's totally coming back!). So here goes – enjoy:)

* * *

**Creature From The Black Lagoon Meets Barbie**

As soon as Kurt came inside the house, the smell that hit his nose made him jerk to a halt. There could be only one person responsible. "Finn, what's that ungodly smell?" he demanded leaving his messenger bag and coat in the hall.

There was no reply. He followed the odour and to his growing alarm found that it was coming from the kitchen. He pushed the door open. Sure enough, his stepbrother was standing in the middle of a chocolate-floury inferno that the kitchen had become. He was wearing Kurt's apron that said _Kiss the cook _and a goofy grin. The apron Kurt could survive but that grin was a sure sign of one thing. Finn was experimenting again.

"_What _are you doing to our kitchen?"

"Well, mum and Burt won't be back till the evening and you're always cooking for us…so I thought if you could do it, I could also give it a shot."

"The ability to make grilled cheese doesn't mean you know how to cook!" Kurt said in exasperation. "What did you do, Finn?" he asked taking another look at the kitchen, which looked like Hurricane Katrina swept through it. At least twice.

"I've made a cake!" Finn announced proudly.

"Finn, have you forgotten the cupcake incident?"

"It said put in _whole_ eggs and a _stick_ of butter! I did what the recipe said!"

"And the microwave turkey?"

"Hey, how was I supposed to know you had to take it _out_ of the thermo bag before you put it in? It was an accident. And it was funny."

"Our neighbours who thought it was a bomb exploding, and the police they called, for that matter, didn't think it was that funny."

"It's not my fault they have no sense of humour."

"We need to work on you definition of humour or our house won't make it till the end of the year." Kurt crossed his arms over his chest.

"I still don't see…"

"Finn, enough. What about that one time when you burned _water_? Even saying that makes me wonder how for the love of Gucci you pulled that off!"

"Ok, ok, I get the point! I'm not a very good cook!"

"Very good? You and cooking shouldn't even be in one sentence, Finn."

There was a ding and Finn held up a finger at Kurt. "It's ready!" he announced happily and moved to the oven.

"I'm actually impressed…since when do you know how to use the oven?"

Finn shrugged. "I just jammed a couple of buttons and it started."

"Aaaand I'm back to being incredibly annoyed. And terrified."

Kurt watched Finn take the _thing_ out of the oven in horror. "_What _is this? It looks like the Creature from The Black Lagoon meeting Barbie and deciding to spontaneously explode together!"

"Maybe it's not very pretty-" Finn jammed a finger into the cake. "-but it's tasty!" he smiled licking his finger.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll wait a couple of hours. If you're still alive by then, we can take this up again."

Finn pouted and produced a candle from his apron pouch.

"Make a wish!"

Kurt looked at him incredulously. "What? Why?"

"I've made this cake especially for you…there's a candle in it-" he said putting it in the middle and lighting it. "-so you've got to make a wish. I think there's a rule about this."

"And I think there's a rule about dimwits not being allowed in the kitchen."

"There is not."

"Well, I'm making one right now!"

Finn was relentless. "Blow."

"It's not even my birthday!"

"It's that or I'll tell Burt about your last little 'study session' with Blaine."

"Blaine is my friend and…"

"_I'm_ your friend, dude. And if we did what you two had done yesterday…"

"All right! All right!" Kurt raised his hand to stop him. "I hate you," he added venomously, warily coming nearer to the cake.

He rolled his eyes as he saw the expectation in Finn's eyes. Then he blew. Finn grinned.

"What did you wish for?"

"To be an only child again," Kurt shot back. "Now get your arse here. You're helping me scrape the chocolate sauce off the walls…oh, and I see the ceiling as well," Kurt added matter-of-factly looking up. "Peachy."

"Can we eat the cake first?"

* * *

I guess it was only a matter of time before I did a piece on Finn cooking - it sooo has hilarity and 'Finn in trouble' written all over it! I hope you liked this, do let me know!

The 'Furt' episode left me reeling and I had to do something about it - so if you're up for more Kurt and Finn, check out my new one-shot "Just The Way You Are".


	10. First Snow and Squirrels

Odds And Ends

**Disclaimer: **No change here. It's still all Ryan Murphy's and Fox's.

**A/N:** We've just had the first serious snow this winter here (yay!) and this idea came to my mind. Hope you'll like it.

* * *

**First Snow And Squirrels**

Kurt looked out the window at the winter wonderland outside. In the night snow had come to Lima and now everything was covered in white, hiding the brownish lawns and leafless trees under a deep layer of white powder. He liked this side of winter when everything ugly disappeared as if by a swish of a magic wand. He wished it could be that easy in real life. But it was just an illusion. Soon it would turn into ugly slush and he crinkled his nose at the thought. Still, while it lasted, he at least had the opportunity to wear his brand new Armani cashmere beanie to school today. That is, if he even got there in time, which his stepbrother seemed bent on making impossible.

"Finn, this is your last call!" Kurt announced loudly. "If you don't get your butt here right now, you're walking to school! As in _on your own feet in the friggin' cold_!"

"Kurt, language!" came his dad's voice from the kitchen.

"Sorry, dad!" Kurt said in the direction of Burt and turned back to the staircase leading to the den.

"Hudson, get your _ass _here right now!" he said in a loud whisper.

Silence.

Last time Kurt saw Finn was when he was blindly heading for the bathroom bumping off furniture about half an hour ago. That was what you got for playing Xbox till three in the morning on school day, Kurt thought smugly.

He tapped his foot impatiently and looked down into the darkness of the basement. Usually the threat of going to school on foot worked like a charm but this time there was still no sign of his overgrown child of a brother.

"Fine!" Kurt huffed and proceeded to wrap himself up tightly in his Calvin Klein coat. He took his messenger bag and decided to wait a couple more minutes in the Navigator. The effect of the house door closing behind him should do the trick. Unless Finn had fallen asleep in the shower. Again. But if he did, Kurt doubted even a nuclear explosion would wake him.

He stepped outside into the cold and put on his cap proudly…only to have it almost ripped off his head by a snowball that came out of nowhere. Shell-shocked, he looked at the miserable snow-stained heap of expensive wool at his feet with his mouth hanging open. As he looked up, he caught the sight of a grinning Finn ducking behind the back of the Navigator.

"Hudson, you're a dead man!" Kurt growled.

"Bring it on, Hummel!" came a challenging snicker.

Kurt rolled his eyes in pure exasperation and considered just vaulting himself into his car and leaving his dimwit of a brother there. Then another snowball swished dangerously close to his left ear. The Armani cap and his dignity forgotten, Kurt lunged behind a trash can.

Finn saw Kurt disappear and waited on baited breath for the attack. Nothing happened, though. There was complete silence, broken only by the occasional car passing by.

"You wimping out, bro?" he chanced but there was still no reply from his stepbrother. This couldn't be good. Kurt was the master of cold, sneaky tactics and the silence only meant he was doing his 'logicky' thing. He had already been on the wrong side of Kurt's sneaky moves when he made him play Call of Duty once. After all the whining about the graphics and dullness of outfits, Kurt blew his highest score out of the water in no time.

Finn decided not to take his chances and act first. Fresh snowball in hand, he moved warily from behind the car. He straightened up and took a look around. Clear. He circled the car but there was still no sign of Kurt. He even looked underneath the SUV but to no avail. Then he turned towards the trash cans with a triumphant grin but Kurt wasn't there either. He scratched the back of his head.

"Looking for someone, Frankenteen?" came suddenly from behind him and just as Finn whirred around, he was met with a ball of snow to his face.

He groaned as the snow got under his jacket and scarf but he didn't let that stop him. He lunged forward grabbing Kurt before the other boy could move away and they tumbled to the ground. Kurt put up one hell of a fight but Finn held him tightly with one hand, the other gathering snow. His snow-filled hand faltered for a second (images of Kurt's dire revenge on him when he was asleep flashing through his mind) but then he let it fall anyway, rubbing the icy powder in Kurt's hair and face.

"Ok, ok, enough with the facial! You win!" Kurt protested and Finn stopped. Which was exactly what Kurt needed. He raised both his hands with the snow he had gathered while Finn was busy and pushed it down his brother's collar.

Finn yelped and jumped up releasing Kurt. "What the hell!"

"That's for my hair," Kurt said standing up, amusement tugging at his cheeks and allowing his dimples to pop into view as he looked at Finn doing the boogie trying to shake the snow from under his clothes.

"You should use some of these moves at Glee," Kurt said with a raised eyebrow. "I think it's the best dancing I've seen you do."

Finn looked at him reproachfully. "That wasn't fair, dude! You said I win!"

"And you actually believed me," Kurt said airily, gracefully shaking the snow off from his coat and hair.

"I hate you," Finn grumbled.

"Touchy, touchy, Hudson. Be nice to the person who's driving you to school," Kurt said lifting his beanie from the ground and assessing the damage. "Or not," he added grimly.

"Did we kill a squirrel?" Finn asked in horror looking at the furry thing in Kurt's hands.

"You killed it all right…" Kurt started sarcastically.

"Ohmigod!"

"…only it's not a squirrel, Finn."

"What is it, then? A mouse?" Finn asked coming closer.

Kurt blinked at him. "It's my beanie."

"You've got a beanie made of squirrel?"

"Yes, Finn," Kurt deadpanned. "It's a tradition. Every Hummel has to go out into the woods, bare-handedly hunt their own squirrel and then wear it to school."

"When did you manage to get into the woods and hunt a squirrel?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Finn, do you have any idea what irony is?"

"Sure, it's like bronzy and goldy only made of iron," the taller boy deadpanned.

Kurt looked up to the sky with a sigh. "Finn, get into the car right now before I change my mind."

Finn did as he was told. They drove in silence for a while.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, Finn? What other matter of existential value is troubling your mind?"

"Um…Since I'm kinda part Hummel now, do I have to hunt and wear a squirrel, too?"

* * *

Hope you had a laugh, and have a great week, everyone!


	11. Why Finn Needed a Pot

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still nothing.

**A/N: **Well, it's still snowing heavily so my ideas kinda remain wintery-centered…This went its own way, I hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

**Why Finn Needed A Pot**

Kurt dumped his messenger bag in the hall with a martyred sigh and proceeded to unwrap himself from all the layers of his winter outfit. He was cold and hungry, and he had had a long day at school. He wanted nothing more than to forget derivatives, integrals and infinite series and just dive into a hot bubble bath and listen to _Chicago_.

The sound resembling a stampede coming from the den shook him from his daydreaming and he glanced up just to see Finn loping up the stairs.

"Hey. Is it still snowing outside?"

"Gee, Finn, I don't know," Kurt snapped. "If only we had windows that showed outside so that you could see yourself."

"Gee, Kurt, thanks for nothing," Finn frowned at him. "The bitchy factor's high so I guess the math test went well."

Kurt sighed and plopped himself on the couch in the dining room. "Sorry," he said apologetically. "I guess I am a bit touchy."

"You think?" Finn scoffed but came closer and patted him on the shoulder. He knew that with Kurt, the snapping wasn't personal. Well, most of the time. "Seriously, was it this bad?"

"On a scale from 1 to 10? It sucked."

"You're the smartest guy I know. I'm sure you did good."

Kurt looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Ok, it was bad," Finn conceded. "But hey, it could always be worse."

"Yeah, I could have gangrene on my face."

"Kurt, school isn't everything."

"Thank you for the invaluable yet _completely unhelpful_ words of wisdom," Kurt snapped. "You tell yourself that when you're an assistant at the supermarket."

"Whatever, dude, but I don't have problems with calculus."

"That's because you _don't take it_."

"Exactly. I have no idea why you do." Finn shrugged.

"Because our parents should have at least one smart son," Kurt mumbled, feeling drowsiness getting the better of him. He was beginning to feel the effects of his calculus-filled night.

Finn looked at him reproachfully. "If you're the smart one what does it make me?"

"The charming one?" Kurt mumbled, covering himself with the afghan on the couch.

"I guess I can live with that." Finn grinned and looked down on his brother curled in a fetal position.

"You tired, dude?"

"No, I'm lying here because I'm admiring the views."

"Want some cocoa?"

"No, I want to sleep."

"Fine."

Kurt had barely gotten a wink of sleep when a terrible clanging noise coming from the kitchen shook him awake. He looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was too early for their parents to be home so that left only one person. Kurt grunted and hoisted himself to a sitting position vowing he would finally have to make their parents install a child lock on the kitchen door. And throw in some barbed wire, just in case.

Then Finn emerged from the kitchen wearing his jacket, a scarf and a cap. Kurt rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Finn said happily.

"I'm not sure I am," Kurt replied warily, blinking. "Why are you wearing outdoor clothes? And what was that noise?"

"I'm looking for a pot. Do you know where we keep them?"

"I do. And there's a reason you don't," Kurt said pointedly. "What do you need a pot for?"

Finn rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to cook, ok? I just need it."

"Why?"

"I'm making a snowman."

"A snowman?"

"Yeah, you know. You roll balls of snow and then you…"

"I know what a snowman is, Finn," Kurt snapped. "But why? Are you ten?"

"It's Hudson family tradition," Finn said unfazed by Kurt's skeptical expression. "Wanna do it with me?"

"No."

"Sheesh, are you always this cranky when you wake up?"

"No. Only when I'm really tired and sleep-deprived and some dimwit wakes me up trying to drag me into the friggin' cold to make a snow statue."

"Snow_man_, Kurt. Don't be such a buzzkill! It will be fun!"

Kurt stared at him.

"Remember fun? You know, that thing when you smile?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. Then he looked out the window. The afternoon sun was coming out from behind the clouds and he had to admit it looked really pretty outside. In a cold, I'm-totally-not-going-out way.

"I haven't made a snowman since I was seven."

"Because...it messes up your hair?"

"No. It was a thing I always did with my mum when the first snow came," Kurt added in a subdued tone not looking at Finn. "When she wasn't there, I didn't feel like doing it anymore."

"I'm sorry, man." Finn perched on the couch next to Kurt. "I didn't know."

"It's fine, Finn," Kurt said shakily managing a smile at his stepbrother.

"If it makes you feel bad, I won't do it."

"No, you go and have your childish fun. I'll make us some cocoa."

Finn grinned and jumped up from the couch. Kurt moved to the kitchen and watched through the window as his brother worked on his creation with an eagerness he rarely saw. He thought he himself must have looked the same when he had been playing like this with his mom. He shook his head seeing Finn hoist a huge snow ball he'd just finished rolling. If only Finn could channel a bit of this energy for his homework, Kurt thought wryly. Still, that goofy grin he was wearing was contagious and Kurt found himself grinning at his reflection in the window.

Outside, Finn had already hoisted the uppermost ball of snow that was the head and went on to the buttons and the face. He was just binding a scarf around the snowman's throat when a pair of garishly mittened hands moved next to him and placed a huge red pot on the snowman's head.

Finn grinned at Kurt and Kurt found himself grinning back. They both moved back and admired the snow figure in silence for a while.

"That is certainly the ugliest snowman I've ever seen," Kurt said critically, crossing his hands over his chest. Then he looked up at Finn, a smile playing on his lips. "I love it."

"You see, I told you it's fun!" Finn said proudly. "And it's not really about the snowman anyways, you know," he added and rubbed Kurt's hair over his beanie.

Strangely, Kurt didn't mind.

"I know," he said, and stood closer to Finn so that they're arms were touching. They stood in companionable silence for a while when Kurt's gaze focused on the item around the snowman's throat and the smile on his face waned.

"Finn?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Is that my _Armani scarf_?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, you will soon!" Kurt growled with murder in his eyes, gathering a handful of snow into his hand.

Finn grinned.

* * *

So, I hope you liked this – do let me know! Reviews are love!

Have a great day today and yay for a new eppy!


	12. Total Eclipse of the House

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nothing. Nada. Null.

**A/N: **First off, THANK YOU so much, guys, for all the reviews, alerts, faves and reads! I'm over the moon right now and you've officially made my day! I was a bit nervous about starting in this fandom at first but you've made it great and welcoming and I can't thank you enough! You really rock!

**A/N2: **This chapter turned out a bit more serious than the usual goofiness but I was so thrown by Kurt telling Rachel on the last episode that he hadn't spoken to Finn since the wedding (I mean, come on!) that I had to do something about it. So this one is sort-of episode-based.

Oh, and consequently, an alert for minor spoilers for 'Special Education' (nothing major, though! Bexta03, I think you can safely read it;).

Ok, end of long A/Ns, I'll let you read the new chapter now;) Enjoy!

* * *

**Total Eclipse of The House**

Finn looked out into the darkness outside. It was snowing heavily in all of Ohio again and he'd just gotten a call from Burt and his mom from Akron that the conditions were so bad they would have to stay the night there and wouldn't be back from the business trip till the next day. Which meant he had a house to himself. Normal procedure would be to call Puck and Mike for a round of Call of Duty, who would bring Artie and Brittany and Tina, who would call Mercedes and Rachel…and in no time they would have a full-on Glee party going on. This time though, it was out of the question. The snowfall was so heavy even school had been called off, and no one dared to pry their nose outside unless forced. Besides, there was another reason Finn didn't reach for his phone and call Puck.

Kurt was home for the weekend. As much as he still held somewhat of a grudge against him for not talking to him about leaving McKinley, Finn had missed his brother a lot more than he thought he would. It was incredibly awkward because he felt like it was totally one-sided. Kurt hadn't spoken to him since the wedding and ever since he drove over in the afternoon, they had barely spoken a word and then Kurt had bunkered himself in the den. So Finn took the cue and stayed away.

He heard his stomach grumble. Deciding it was the sign from heavens he was waiting for and that his pride wasn't that big of a deal when it came to food, he made his way downstairs. Kurt was sitting in his bed wrapped in an afghan, a book on his lap and thoughtful expression on his face.

"What ya doin'?" Finn asked conversationally throwing himself on his bed.

"I'm hunting elephants," Kurt said wryly looking up from the geography book he had perched on his knees. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But it's Friday night!"

"Well, you're not the one going to a private school with tuition fees off the chart and needing to get a scholarship to stay there so yes, it's Friday night and I have to study."

"I just thought we could…I mean…"

"Yes, Finn?"

"…hang out?"

Kurt closed his book shut with a thud and raised a knowing eyebrow at Finn. "You want me to bake you cookies, don't you?"

"Do you really think so little of me?" Finn asked aiming at a hurt look. Then he grinned seeing Kurt wasn't in the least bit convinced. "Can you do the chocolate chip ones?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. Carole and his dad had called him so he knew it would be only a matter of time before Finn's stomach won over his sulking. Kurt eyed his brother for a moment. He felt really bad about how the Dalton debacle had gone down and quite frankly, he was afraid of facing Finn. He felt he had somehow betrayed him. And when he came home this afternoon, he was met with the famous Hudson sulk that he had no idea how to deal with. So he stayed away from Finn, yet deal with it he had to. He missed his brother. He could just as well start making amends by baking Finn his cookies.

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?"

"Not a chance, buddy," Finn grinned.

"You really have no respect for my academic aspirations, do you?"

"I don't really know what you mean but if it means I don't get my cookies then…no."

Kurt rolled his eyes but got off the bed. He turned and raised a finger at Finn before going up. "But you're not touching anything in the kitchen."

"But I can touch the cookies, right?" Finn asked with genuine alarm.

"As long as you don't eat the dough," Kurt sniggered and shook his head, going up.

In an hour they were sitting at the counter munching on the best cookies Finn had ever tasted. Kurt considered this a success, too – Finn didn't set anything on fire, nothing exploded and the house was still in one piece. As long as they (Kurt) were working, it was ok and it seemed like the old times but now the baking was done, they had fallen back into the awkward silence mode.

"Um…you were really good at the Sectionals," Finn started uneasily over his fifth cookie. "I didn't get the chance to tell you that."

"So did you. Mr. Schue finally decided to get out of the box," Kurt remarked.

"Yup." Finn nodded and looked at the smaller boy uneasily. "Listen, I saw you felt really good at that stage with those Dalton guys…and I see you're happy there…so I'm sorry for not being supportive before. I'll be from now on."

Kurt felt tears sting his eyes. "And I'm sorry for not telling you and keeping you away. It all happened so fast. And then I was afraid."

"Of me?"

"That you would never forgive me."

Finn put a hand on his arm. "Kurt, it was your safety and life at stake. How could I hold that against you?"

"So…you're not mad anymore?" Kurt asked sheepishly with a vulnerability Finn knew he showed to very few people.

"If you bake a pie for supper, I may overlook your faults." Finn grinned.

"Don't push it, Hudson." Kurt chuckled.

"Hey, now that you're gone I'm back to eating grilled cheese and Doritos all week!" Finn whined. "I…kinda miss your cooking," he admitted uneasily. "Even though it's healthy and non-fat and stuff."

"I think hell's just frozen over," Kurt deadpanned with a straight face though he was very pleasantly surprised by Finn's words. "Do I hear Finn Hudson complaining about having to eat snacks and unhealthy food all day? Are you sick?"

Kurt never got his reply because at this point the lights flickered and went off altogether, plunging them both into complete darkness.

"What just happened?" came Finn's voice somewhere to Kurt's right. "Is it the hell freezing?"

Even though it was dark and Finn couldn't see it, Kurt couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Possibly. Or it may be something mundane like the _electrical circuits freezing because of the snow_. But maybe it's just me."

"Oh! Maybe it's the fuses!"

"I doubt it. The whole street's dark."

"But I watched this episode of _How It's Made_ about electrical thingies! And blown fuses are the most common causes of blackouts. And I think I know how to fix this…"

"Please no."

"…there are two things to know about electrical fuses…" Finn continued and Kurt could almost see the focused expression on his face. "First that they're electrical…"

"…and they're fuses?"

"How do you know? Did you watch that episode, too?"

"Oh, just a stab in the _dark_," Kurt scoffed. "Which is what you'll be getting if you don't stop talking soon."

An air of hurt silence radiated from the darkness where Kurt knew Finn was sitting. As his eyes got used to the darkness, he stood up. He heard Finn do the same.

"I'll get a flashlight," the bigger boy said. "It's in the main bedroom."

"Ok. I…I'll just stay here."

"With the cookies?"

Kurt groaned. "Yes, Finn. Because all this is part of my evil plot to get rid of you and have the cookies for myself."

"You know, it's even harder to tell if you're joking when I can't see you."

"Why would I joke about blacking out a whole street to get cookies?"

"I'm going now," Finn said. "There's just no serious talking with you, dude."

Kurt's jaw dropped incredulously. Then he heard Finn shuffle somewhere to his right.

"Kurt-" came his voice from a few feet away. "-you know I love you but could you please take your hands off my butt?"

"I'm here, Finn."

"Then what…ouch!"

Silence.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine. The dresser didn't like me putting hands on it, either."

"I guess you're even, then."

Finn slowly made his way to the bedroom and came back to the kitchen without any more furniture attacking him. The kitchen was empty, though.

"Kurt?"

No reply. Finn moved warily to the den and smiled seeing the lump under the covers on Kurt's bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I got sleepy. Go away."

"It's past six, dude," Finn said skeptically and took another look at his brother huddled under the covers, a certain realization dawning on him. "Are you afraid of the dark, Kurt?"

"No."

"Kurt, I can't tell when you're joking but I'm quite good at telling when you lie."

"Fine! I'm afraid of the dark! What gave me away?"

"Well, the fact that…oh, irony!"

There was a muted harrumph from under the covers and Finn smiled. He sat on the edge of Kurt's bed.

"I remember when I afraid of the dark. I was three and…"

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Let me finish. My mom would sing to me and it really helped."

"My mom used to sing to me, too," came from under the covers.

"So, want me to sing you something?" Finn asked stretching his long legs on the bed next to Kurt.

"Somehow I doubt it will make me feel better."

"I've been practicing," Finn said proudly. "I could sing something from your wheelhouse…that one with the two chicks shooting Rachel did with Miss Holliday…or the one you did for duets…"

"You are _not_ singing Chicago. Or Victor/Victoria. You know, actually, I'm better already."

"I feel very underappreciated by you right now," Finn huffed. "I _am_ the lead. I _can_ do it, you know!"

"I don't doubt that you can, sweetie. But if you do, I'll cut you into tiny pieces and feed you to birds."

"Won't our parents hold that against you?"

"I'll be telling them you walked on an extremely sharp grid wearing a very heavy hat. Oh, they'll believe me."

"Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up already. Or I'm leaving."

"Don't."

* * *

Okay, so that's it – it really went its own way and is longer than usual but I really didn't want to cut this and have this as a sort of thank you to you all:)

Let me know what you think before you leave. Your feedback's very much appreciated!


	13. How Kurt and Finn Broke the Ice

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Same old, same old.

**A/N: **When it finally stopped snowing, the temperatures dropped really low and it's freezing outside. And my inspiration went with it:) So here's another winter-themed chapter! Enjoy!

I'm sorry I didn't get to reply to your reviews personally this time but I got totally swamped:/ So from here, I'd like to thank so much to everyone who reviewed and also all you who faved, alerted and read! You made me a really grinning girl;)

Also, some spoilers for 'Special Education'!

* * *

**How Kurt And Finn Broke The Ice**

Kurt dropped Finn's cap and scarf into his lap.

"Dress up. We're going out."

Finn looked up at him. "Is this one of those 'parent code red' situations again?"

"It is. But this time it's for you."

"What? I haven't done anything."

"Exactly," Kurt enunciated crossing his hands on his chest. "You haven't done _a thing_. Ever since I came home on Friday, all you've done is sit on this couch and stare at the TV. You didn't even try to coerce me into baking you cookies or playing one of your stupid video games. And you didn't say a word when I took away your Doritos just now."

"I didn't feel like eating them," Finn said dismissively with a shrug.

"You not wanting to eat potato chips is like Rachel Berry not wanting to fight me for a solo. Impossible."

Kurt saw that mentioning Rachel made Finn's face harden. He knew he had broken up with her and why, courtesy of Mercedes' 911 call, and he knew he'd be faced with some serious moping when he came home for the weekend but this was much more. He enjoyed the silence and Finn not clanging his drums for a change but the longer it lasted, the more uncomfortable Kurt felt. He'd rather stick forks in his ears than admit it aloud, but he actually missed Finn's constant pestering and, dear Gaga, even the goofy, hyperactive Finn was better than this silent, brooding version.

"Give me a break, Kurt," Finn said turning back to the TV. "Can't you just leave me alone and go do your hair or talk to Blaine or something? I'm sure _he'll_ appreciate your sarcasm."

Kurt put his hands on his hips, his lips a thin line. So that was it. Rachel wasn't the only one Finn was angry with.

"Listen, Maudlin Man. If you want to get to me, you'll have to do much better than that. And if you don't get your butt out of this couch now, I'm gonna use other means of persuasion."

"Like what?" Finn scoffed.

"Like force," Kurt replied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You do realize you're like 4,5 feet tall, right? And I'm a football player?"

"And I'm gay and skinny. I can see how it would be embarrassing if I took you down."

Kurt thought he finally saw a ghost of a smile on his face. Even if it cost him being tackled to the ground, it would be worth it. As fast as the change appeared, though, it was gone.

"I'm already down," Finn said despondently and turned away.

"That's it," Kurt snapped. He took the remote and turned the TV off.

"Hey, I was watching that!"

"And now you're not."

Finn crossed his arms over his chest, and stared ahead. Kurt rolled his eyes. "That is possibly the best impression of a spoiled ten-year-old that I've ever seen. _Chapeau bas._ Now quit it 'cause it's not working," he added in a steely tone.

Finn refused to move or look at him. Kurt sighed and perched on the armrest next to Finn, stretching his legs out in front of him gracefully.

"Finn, inhabiting the couch and moping around like this is completely pointless."

"It's totally pointy!" Finn finally burst. "I'm not leaving the house ever again!"

"Finn, I'm sorry about what happened between you and Rachel…almost really." Finn shot him a dirty look. "All right, you know I _really_ am. I know she meant a lot to you and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when it happened. But I'm here now and can't stand seeing you like this."

"Yeah, you're here for like, two days, and then you'll be away again. Everyone's leaving me."

Kurt looked up to the ceiling. Talk about being a drama queen. Finn had been with Rachel too long.

"Technically, _you_ left Rachel," he pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "And you certainly get the first prize in the making-everything-about-me contest."

"I…I'm sorry, Kurt. I guess I am acting kinda selfish."

"You think?" Kurt scoffed but then put a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Finn, this is as hard for me as it is for you. I'm the one who's away, alone in another county in a new school, you know. And I come home to find my brother, who I count on, even more monosyllabic than ever and pulling a drama queen in front of the TV."

"I know you're having a difficult time, too." Finn sighed. "I didn't think about this. Sorry."

Kurt nodded and stood up.

"And now, end of mope-fest. We're going out."

"Do we have to?" Finn whined.

"Resistance is futile, Hudson."

Finn looked up at him at that. "Did you just make a Star Trek reference?"

"I have no idea what you mean," Kurt said with an innocent grin. Finn grinned back. _Finally!_

He got up from the couch. "Are we going far?"

"No, just somewhere where I can knock you out, open your skull and surgically put some sense into it without any unnecessary disturbances like parents."

"You sure know how to talk a guy up, Kurt," Finn chuckled lightly. "And I'm not going out with you without knowing where ever again. Not after you tricked me into Black Friday shopping with you. My feet are _still _sore."

"Well, yes, if by _tricking_ you mean asking 'Do you want to go Black Friday shopping with me?', then what can I say, I'm sneaky that way."

"It was four in the morning and I was half-conscious! I would have agreed to anything!"

"Good to know," Kurt smiled evilly putting on that strange Icelandic headgear with flaps that made Finn crack a smile. "No worries. We're not going anywhere far and there might even be a pie for you in it afterwards, if you play your cards right."

"We're going to play cards? In the cold outside?"

"Yes, Finn. Strip poker, to be precise," Kurt deadpanned and stepped outside.

Finn shook his head and followed him into the backyard…where a perfectly smooth layer of ice was sparkling in the afternoon sun where normally the car park was. He continued to stare as Kurt disappeared in the tool shed. When he came out, he was carrying two sacks.

"Wow, and I was wondering why Burt was watering flowers in the winter."

"It's a thing we do," Kurt said standing next to Finn and admiring the impromptu skating rink. Then his eyes became a dark shade of ocean blue. "We used to go to the city skating rink with my mom when I was little. I really loved it. But when she became ill and too weak to skate…or walk, I didn't want to do it anymore. But she insisted I don't give it up because of her…and so my dad would do this rink in the backyard, and wheel her in and she would watch me skate."

Finn gently patted Kurt's shoulder. "I'm sorry, man," he said awkwardly, wishing he had at least a fraction of Kurt's ability to express his feelings in words.

Kurt sniffled and rubbed at his eyes decidedly. "Your moping virus seems to be contagious," he said aiming for a smile. He pulled one of the sacks he was holding open and handed Finn a pair of hockey skates. "They're my dad's, they should fit you."

"Um…I don't think this is such a good idea. I haven't skated in like, forever," Finn said in a panicky tone looking at the skates skeptically.

"It's like riding a bike," Kurt said and proceeded to expertly lace his white figure skates. He was on the ice in no time.

Finn took a while to stare at him. Kurt's usual grace seemed to be enhanced by the ice as he moved skillfully from one pirouette to another.

Kurt saw Finn watch him and turn ghastly white in the process.

"That is not something I could or would do, dude," Finn mumbled in his direction. "Like ever."

Kurt did one last pirouette and skated to where Finn was struggling with the skates, stopping right in front of him and sending a flurry of ice chips into the air. Finn shot him a sideways look and Kurt couldn't hold back a smirk.

"I know," Kurt shrugged and skated away. He took something from the shed and skated back to Finn. "My dad wouldn't, either. That's why I also have these." He handed him a hockey stick and threw a puck on the ice between them.

"Now you're talkiiiii…" Finn proceeded to get on the ice and promptly fell on his butt, the hockey stick flying away.

Kurt chuckled and skated to the scrambling Finn.

"Riding a bike, huh?" Finn asked wryly as he managed to get on his feet again, panting heavily.

"This is going to be much more fun that I thought," Kurt remarked with a raised eyebrow. "I only wish I'd brought my camera."

"Always happy to be a source of slapstick humour for you," Finn muttered, his focus on staying upright. He tried a few steps and in a while he was starting to skate. Kind of.

"Ouch."

"Skating 101: only your skates should be touching the ice, Finn. No body parts, especially your butt. Or head," Kurt instructed wryly standing over Finn, who was splayed on the ice yet again.

"Easy for you to say," Finn grumbled.

"Come on, you'll freeze," Kurt said and reached out his hand. Finn took it and tugged, bringing Kurt flying to the ground next to him.

"Hey!"

"Not so funny now, huh?"

"You're gonna regret this, Hudson," Kurt said getting onto his feet.

"Oh really?" Finn teased standing shakily next to him.

Kurt shoved the hockey stick into his hands. "One on one. To ten."

Finn grinned. "You're on. How are we doing this?"

"The garage door is the goalpost, we start from the other end. One covers the other."

"Ok," Finn grinned, squeezing his hockey stick tighter. "You sure you up for this in your _figure skates_? You know you don't get to do many pirouettes in hockey."

"Oh, I'm up for it."

"Bring it on, Hummel."

Finn soon learned that Kurt in battle mode and wearing sharp blades on his shoes, be they figure skates or not, was a deadly combination. Still, he had longer arms and had better suited skates so he managed to hold his ground. Sort of. They were both more on the ground than actually skating but it was so much fun neither cared.

"And score!" Finn hollered triumphantly as they skidded to a halt at the door in a heap of arms and legs on their last round. The puck bounced off the door with a dull thud. "It's a draw!"

"I don't think it can be called a score if you hit the puck with your butt."

"You just can't take it that I beat you!"

"You didn't beat me! It's a draw!"

"Ha! I got you! So it _is_ a score!"

"Did you just say 'ha'?"

"Don't change the subject."

"Finn, could we continue this gripping conversation when you're not _sitting on me_?"

"Oh, right. Sorry," Finn mumbled and proceeded to get up. He helped Kurt to do the same and they both stood and looked at the battle field in front of them.

The backyard was completely thrashed. Their hockey sticks were chipped and lying on the ice, which had so many holes and scrapes it was barely usable anymore, and the trees closest to the rink looked like Edward Scissorhands took a shot at them and decided it would be funny to trim them in Texas-Chainsaw-Massacre fashion. The garage door was scraped and dented in several places and one of the windows was cracked. Both boys were flushed, panting, and Kurt's Icelandic cap was nowhere to be seen.

"Our parents are gonna kill us," Finn said almost cheerfully.

"Worse. They're going to make us repair all this, do all the chores till kingdom come and I think we're both grounded until we're thirty."

"At least we'll be together," Finn deadpanned.

"Boy, you sure know how to cheer me up," Kurt said wryly.

They contemplated the post-hurricane scenery before them for a bit longer before Finn turned to his stepbrother again.

"I haven't thought about Rachel the whole afternoon," he said with surprise. "Thanks, Kurt."

"No problem, Finn."

"And I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

"Strangely, me too."

A branch broke off from one of the trees and fell onto the ice.

"But we're never doing this again, right?"

"Not a chance in hell."

* * *

I hope you liked this! If you did, do leave a review:)

Have a nice Sunday, everyone!

_*Chapeau bas _is French for: Hats off.


	14. Christmas Tree Spree

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **The sky is blue, grass is green and Glee is Ryan Murphy's;D

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the lack of updates this week but you know how RL can get…and it's gotten so for me these past couple of days. But after watching the Christmas episode I got quite a few new ideas for the time before Christmas, so there are more pieces coming, you can be sure of that!

As for this chapter, I really liked Finn talk about the importance of the Christmas tree (and I'm totally with him on that!), and this idea popped up…hope you like it!

Oh, and some spoilers for "A Very Glee Christmas".

* * *

**Christmas Tree**** Spree**

"I never thought I'd say this but shopping is a bitch," Kurt said burying his mittened hands deeper in his coat pockets. He was cold, hungry and worst of all, his new patent-leather Ferragamo shoes were starting to look less patent and more _lather_, as in soapy-looking indelible patterns all over them, from all the slush mixed with salt Finn made him wade through. "Of course only if it's done with a hyper dimwit who's got an horticultural fixation."

"Orti-what?"

"I think I've just had an idea for a Christmas present for you."

"Yeah? What?"

"A big, heavy dictionary," Kurt enunciated cheerfully. "One I can hit you over the head with."

"So technically, that would be a present for you," Finn said with a crooked smile.

"Details." Kurt waved a hand at him. "And now, can we please go home? I've got other things to do."

"Like what?"

"Like anything that _doesn't_ involve me freezing to death?"

"Stop whining. You wanted to go with me."

"It was that or mediaeval West Germanic Franks," Kurt sighed. He shot Finn a pointed look. "I should have known better."

"Don't be such a big baby, Kurt."

"I think I like being a big baby," Kurt said thoughtfully. "It keeps my brain from freezing."

"Have I told you why I love your delicate hints? Because they're not like anvils _at all_!"

"I try." Kurt smiled mischievously just as another shiver shook him.

Finn knew Kurt had in fact been extremely patient with him up till now, and felt bad about dragging him through all the stands in the freezing cold. But he had to occupy his mind with something to not think about…_No_.

"I know you're cold." He put a hand on Kurt's arm. "So am I. One last tree stand, ok? And then we're going."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "How exactly will this stand differ from the _four_ we've already been to?"

"Maybe they will have the right tree."

"Finn, they're all _the same_."

"No, they're not! There are Christmas trees and Christmas trees. We want the latter."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Oh right. That clears everything up for me."

"The tree _is_ Christmas, Kurt. And this is our first family Christmas together. So I want it to be really special."

"That's a really noble cause, Finn, and I agree, but do I really have to turn into an icicle for it?" he asked willing his teeth not to chatter.

"I'm sorry you're cold but frankly, it's your own fault. Why do you refuse to wear that stuffed warm winter jacket my mom bought you?"

Kurt pouted. "It makes me look fat."

Finn stared at his skinny brother. He doubted there was anything short of an inflatable sumo costume that could make him look _slightly_ _fleshy _at he wasn't entirely sure even that would do the trick. "So you'd rather freeze to death?"

"I'll take my chances," Kurt said airily raising his chin.

Finn just shook his head. He knew there was no arguing once Kurt got something into his head. "Then stop complaining and come on!" He turned and started walking again.

"Hey, so it _does _make me look fat?" Kurt asked starting behind him. Finn turned around with a quizzical glance. "You didn't say no."

Finn raised his eyes to the sky. It was enough that he had to deal with this with his girlfriend. Oh, right. He didn't have one anymore because she cheated on him with his ex-best friend. Again. He ground his teeth.

"You know what, I don't feel like doing this anymore. You got what you wanted. We're going!"

Kurt was thrown by the sudden change of mood. "What…about the tree?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I'm sorry if I'm giving you a hard time." Kurt sighed. "I just think you're…trying too hard here? What's this _really_ about, Finn?"

Finn crossed his hands over his chest and looked away. Kurt knew him too well. Still, he wasn't talking to him about Rachel. He wasn't talking to anyone about that. He decided to go for Kurt's tactics and change the subject. "Coming from the guy who measures mistletoe with a ruler and plans Christmas like a military operation, your point is pretty moot, dude."

"Good organization is key to any successful family holiday," Kurt said with a pout. "And that mistletoe seemed really unshapely! I had to check!"

Finn shook his head. He shoved his hands in his pockets and became very interested in the tips of his shoes. "I can't cook, I can't decorate...well, not without destroying the house…so doing the tree is the only real contribution I can make. And I like doing it. You know, whenever we put the tree out with my mom, it was like Christmas was really there…and I could use some Christmas spirit right now."

Kurt looked at him with concern. Oh, this was so not about the tree, or even Christmas. But Finn wouldn't talk about it to him and Kurt didn't want to push. Well, not until he fed Finn enough of his home-made eggnog anyways.

"So what do you say we go get that tree?" he said. "Since you've already dragged me all over Lima for it and all?"

"Now all the best are taken…" Finn grumbled. "We would've had a better shot at finding one if you'd come home from Westerville like you said not _a whole two days_ _later_," he said reproachfully.

Kurt felt a blush creeping up his cheeks. "I…had a study group with Blaine. Didn't want to miss it."

"Is this some new term for a make-out session?" Finn asked furrowing his eyebrows.

Kurt opened and closed his mouth, knowing he was turning nine shades of red now. "Finn, grow up," he finally managed. "Not everything's about kissing." _Unfortunately._

"Yeah, some things are about groping…It wasn't about groping, was it?" he asked, his face falling. "I'm so scarred with the mental image right now," he added gulping.

"Hey, hormones on parade here? It was a _study group_, and there were five other people present."

"So what?"

Kurt sighed in exasperation and gave Finn a withering look.

"Hey, I'm just being the brother here," Finn said decisively. "And I'm not backing off."

Kurt shook his head. "That's very sweet of you, Finn, but there's no need for you to get all Lancelot over this. My virtue's safe." He chuckled. "But if I need someone to exasperate me to death with questions, I'll call you."

"Always happy to help," Finn grinned.

Suddenly Kurt ground to a halt, almost making Finn bump into him. "Finn, stop. Tree stand. One o'clock."

Finn took one look, and shifted his weight uneasily from one foot to the other. "This one's not right. Let's go to the next one," he said avoiding Kurt's gaze.

"Don't push it, Finn. We're going to this one and you'd better pick your damned tree or you're walking home."

"Fine," Finn huffed.

They walked through the lanes of Fraser firs, Douglases and many other trees Kurt couldn't even identify for a quarter of an hour but Finn wasn't even really looking at the trees or even speaking. He seemed totally zoned out. And when they played Wham's "Last Christmas", he jerked. Then he turned on his heel and started walking away. Kurt had to run to keep up with him.

"Finn? What's wrong?" he panted as he got in front of him, managing to stop his progress. "Not that I'm complaining, but what happened to the hyper-Finn who was ready to bash Christmas spirit into my head with a candy cane?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Ok, once more with even less feeling."

Finn sighed. "I came here with Rachel a week ago to pick a tree for the choir room."

"Oh."

"And I kinda dumped her here."

"Again?"

Finn shot him a sideways look. "Not helping, Kurt."

"Sorry. It's just…What did the drama queen do now?"

"She sang."

"Now that's unexpected." Kurt rolled his eyes. "Did she sing off key?"

"Um…no."

"Then why did you dump her?"

"It's just…I mean, her singing was pretty…it always is…but this time it wasn't enough. I couldn't forgive her."

Kurt looked at the pained expression on Finn's face and decided now was not the time for sarcastic comments or telling him he was an idiot. That would come later. "This is really getting you down. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I know you've got lots of your own stuff to worry about and your own issues. I guess I didn't wanna throw this on you, too."

Kurt smiled at him warmly. "Finn, I'm your brother just as you are mine. And I think it's time you let me be there for you, too…I'm not saying I'm going to fight Rachel for your virtue but…"

Despite himself, Finn snorted. He smiled at Kurt and decided that as usual, his stepbrother was right. In a sarcastic, I-still-think-you're-a-dimwit way.

"I…I just don't know what to do."

Kurt sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. Then he smiled. "I think right now the best plan is to deck the halls with boughs of holly."

* * *

So, I hope you liked this! Next time, Finn takes Kurt's words about decking the halls a bit too literally;) And as always, chaos and hilarity ensue;)

Stay tuned and have a great weekend, everyone!


	15. How Finn Topped the Tree Topper

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, nothing.

**A/N:** As promised, a chapter of Christmas tree trimming at the Hudmel household;) Hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

**How Finn ****Topped the Tree Topper**

"One more time!" Finn grunted holding the Christmas tree over the tree stand from one side and instructing Kurt to do the same. The tree stood vicariously and ran the danger of toppling at any moment. They had been at this for over half an hour, Burt and Carole having conveniently left to do shopping, and the boys were nowhere near to getting the job done.

"Kurt, you're holding it sideways!"

"Bite me, Hudson!" came the disembodied yet clearly angry voice from somewhere on the other side of the huge fir. "The tree's crooked. It will never…" Kurt was cut off when a branch scraped over his forehead and got entangled in his hair. Again. He clenched his teeth but didn't release his hold on the tree.

Finn knew his stepbrother was on the verge of throwing a hissy fit over the state of clothes and hair so he had to act fast or there would be no dinner tonight. He took a deep sigh and with one final heave they finally placed the tree in the stand. They both moved away on baited breath, careful not to touch as much as a twig. They were both flushed and panting from the exertion, their hands were sticky from the resin and their hair all tangled. Finn looked at Kurt, who was very red in the face and leaning against the table.

"You ok?"

"Fine," Kurt panted. "I just need to die for a minute."

"Come on, it wasn't this bad."

Kurt shot him an annoyed look. Not only had Finn dragged him all over Lima in the freezing cold to get the tree but when he finally chose one, it was the friggin' King Kong of Christmas trees. It was so huge they barely fit it into his SUV. Kurt would remember the ride back home for a long time, with the tree top sticking out through the front passenger's window and Finn squeezed into his seat hugging the fir to keep it from moving on the turns. And that was only the beginning. Getting the beast of a tree into the house took them half an hour, upon which their parents decided to bail, enthusiastically encouraged to do so by Finn who assured them the two of them could easily do the rest. At that point Kurt started to wonder if their parents were simply naïve or maybe they actually _wanted_ the house destroyed in an intentional ploy to collect insurance money. Kurt wondered if 'teen rampage' would count as a valid insurance clause. Looking at Finn, he figured he would learn soon enough.

His fingers wandered absent-mindedly up to move his bangs to the side but he stopped in the last moment, staring at his soiled hands and damaged manicure. He let out a growl and turned to go to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" came Finn's voice.

"To kill the cat on my head, and I think I'm also going to get a knife."

"What do you need a knife for? To…kill the cat?" Finn asked tentatively.

Kurt sighed. "That was my sarcastic voice, Finn. I mean, really?"

"Well, it sounded a lot like your regular voice."

"I've been told that." Kurt smiled. "But after living with me long enough, one would think you'd at least start grasping the notion of sarcasm." Finn just stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Or at least not accuse me of eviscerating household critters whenever I make an allusion about sharp objects."

"Can you blame me? After the squirrel?"

"How many times do I have to repeat that my beanie is _not_ made of squirrel?"

"Are you sure about that?"

Kurt rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I think I will be getting that knife after all," he said wryly and turned on his heel.

"Hey, we're not finished yet! What about the trimming?"

"Honestly, I don't think I can survive any more Christmas tree preparations with you, Finn."

"Come, on! The trimming's the most fun!"

Kurt still looked unconvinced so Finn decided now was the time to roll out heavy artillery. Well, not literally, but…

"You promised you'd be there for me when I needed it. I need it."

"That is…" Kurt began enraged. "I can't believe you're using the needy card."

"I could use the violence card," Finn said casually with a grin. "The choice is yours."

"How about not using any card at all? What happened to polite asking?"

"Living with you? I guess it got lost somewhere between sarcasm and eviscerating."

"Finn Hudson making a snide remark," Kurt deadpanned. "The gods themselves shivered."

"I knew you were a bad influence on me," Finn said with a grin. "So, you're gonna help me or…"

"Fine. Fine," Kurt huffed. "But we're doing it my way."

He crossed his arms over his chest though honestly, he was glad Finn wanted to do this with him so much. Besides, he did love trimming the tree. And it so happened that he had been preparing for it since Thanksgiving.

"The older decorations are in the attic, the new ones are in the garage," he instructed. "Go get those in the attic first and try not to break anything. I'll change and get my trimming design scheme."

Finn raised an eyebrow at him. "Trimming scheme. You have a scheme. For trimming."

"Of course," Kurt said airily. "Christmas is the best time of year for gorgeous décor and a great opportunity for fashion. This year's main trend is 'recycling chic' with aureolin, amber and coquelicot as the main hues…why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was just wondering if I'm supposed to understand anything of what you're saying."

"I know your idea of trimming is throwing everything on as fast as possible and hoping it would stick but that's not the Hummel way," Kurt said, his hand once again going upwards to set his bangs right. He stopped himself with an exasperated scoff and looked at Finn irritably. "The ornaments, tinsel and lights have to be set in the right sequence and in a thought-out orderly pattern so as not to make the tree look cluttered and overwhelm the whole room."

Finn stayed silent for a while. Then he shook his head. "Sometimes you scare me."

"Sometimes you _don't_ scare me," Kurt shot back.

"I think I'll go to that attic now."

"Wise decision."

Finn turned on his heel and smiled to himself as he loped up the stairs. Maybe he was being masochistic but he kinda liked Kurt in his bitchy-bossy mode. It was annoying but it was theirs. Their brotherly thing. Kurt bossed him around and Finn teased him, more or less intentionally. That was what they did and somehow, it was special. Even if it sometimes made Finn want to throw red socks in Kurt's white laundry. Finn grinned to himself at the thought. With any other person, he would go for choking here but he knew that with Kurt, damaged clothes went way farther than bodily harm ever could.

Finn had no idea that two floors down Kurt was proving exactly that point by clucking over his resin-stained Hilfiger shirt before taking any heed of his scraped hands. Only when he administered the full cleaning procedure on the piece and got his hair in order, did he finally emerge from the bathroom. He looked into the dining room expecting to find his brother setting the tree on fire or entangled in the lights but Finn wasn't there at all. It was eerily quiet and the ornaments were nowhere to be seen, which meant Finn was still in the attic. Kurt looked upwards. He didn't put it past Finn to get locked himself from the inside up there so he started up the stairs with a sigh.

"Finn?" he asked opening the door.

The dusty smell of old furniture and clothes hit his nostrils. Before his eyes got used to the dimness, he just stood there in the entrance not seeing a thing. He hadn't been here in a long time and it was a while before he found his way about the vast and cluttered room. Soon enough, he found Finn in one of the farthest corners. He was going through a box of ornaments and when he saw Kurt, he held something up to him.

"If you want to do something right, close Finn in a closet first," Kurt huffed. "What are you doing here so long? You were just supposed to bring two boxes down not go through everything that's in here."

"I was but then I saw this box. This is really cool, dude," Finn said looking at a robot-shaped figurine ornament he'd dug up. "I didn't know you were into Transformers."

"My dad's more like it," Kurt smiled coming closer. "And it's not a Transformer. They didn't have them back then," Kurt said reaching into the box. "These are really old and mostly damaged. Most are from my early childhood, but some from back when my parents were kids," he said with a frown looking at the item that found its way into his fingers. "We don't use them any more."

"Why? They're really nice," Finn remarked looking at the wooden angel tree topper Kurt was holding.

Kurt didn't reply, just continued to stare at the angel, which was definitely old and had its best days behind it. It had a broken wing, one of its hands was missing and its dress was stained and dusty. All in all, it was a pretty miserable sight. Still, there was something about the way Kurt held it and the look in his eyes that told Finn it was much more than just another old, forgotten toy.

"It was my mum's," Kurt finally said softly when the silence started to ring in their ears. "When my parents thought I was asleep I used to sneak under the tree and play with the ornaments. She-" Kurt smiled somewhat tearily at the doll. "-would always be the princess in peril."

"Whoa, how did you manage to get it from the tree top?"

"That was part of the peril," Kurt chuckled. "I wasn't always successful." He motioned at the broken wing. "But my mum was never angry, even when I broke it, though it's sort of a family heirloom she got from her mother."

"She seems a nice lady," Finn said awkwardly but Kurt smiled at him.

"She was."

"So, you want me to bring those down?" Finn asked as he stood up and made to take the box.

"No," Kurt said categorically. "They stay here," he added in a voice suddenly devoid of all emotion and put the angel back in the box.

Finn knew the steel in Kurt's voice meant he'd rather not argue or ask any more questions if he wanted to make it out of the attic alive. They took what they needed and went downstairs. Kurt set up his scheme on the table and they worked on the tree for over an hour, Kurt bossing him around as usual but Finn could see his stepbrother's heart wasn't in it. He was so quiet and withdrawn that even teasing him about squirrels or Blaine lost its appeal to Finn. Even distant and eerily taciturn, though, Kurt still had amazing taste and aesthetic sense, and when they were finished, Finn had to admit he had never seen a more beautiful tree.

"This is totally awesome, Kurt."

"Of course it is," Kurt said putting his hands on his hips and looking at the tree with satisfaction. "I guess this is the part when I make you eat the scheme for making fun of it."

"Well, I am hungry. But somehow, not that much."

Kurt smiled at him, then he gave the tree one last look before turning around. "I think I'll turn in now."

"You're not waiting for our parents to return with the dinner?"

"Does food _ever_ leave your mind?"

Finn shrugged. "When I sleep, I guess."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Kurt said wryly. "Anyways, I'm not feeling well," he added evasively. "Besides, I don't think I could muster enough strength to chew right now. Night, Finn."

"Ok. Night, buddy," Finn said looking after him with a frown.

When Kurt woke up the next morning, the first thing that caught his attention was the absence of Finn – and his snoring – in the den. This was odd, especially considering normally you couldn't drag Finn out of the bed with nothing short of death threats.

Kurt shrugged and went to the bathroom. When he emerged in a cloud of steam after an hour, he felt better and in the mood for a light breakfast. On his way to the kitchen, his eyes wandered to the tree standing proudly in the middle of the dining room and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Finn!" he said loudly. "Come here right now."

Kurt saw a movement to his right and realized his brother was napping on the sofa next to the fireplace. Upon hearing Kurt's voice, he jumped up and looked around disoriented.

"Dude, what's the emergency?" he asked in a half-sleepy, half-reproachful tone as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"You'll be when I'm done," Kurt said angrily. "What did you do to the tree?"

Finn's gaze wandered to his feet and he refused to look at Kurt. "I thought you'd like it."

"You should leave thinking to…" Kurt's voice trailed as his eyes focused on the top of the tree, where his mother's wooden angel, all clean and fixed and shiny, was sitting instead of the star they had put there yesterday. He stared at it wordlessly for a moment.

"You did this?"

Finn held up his hands with a half-smile. Two fingers of his left hand were bandaged and there was a bruise on his right palm.

"I doubt I'll get the handyman of the year award for this," he smiled sheepishly. "But I did my best."

Kurt continued to stare at the tree and the angel topper with an unreadable expression on his face and Finn didn't know what to make of it. He nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Listen, I'm sorry if I was out of line with this…and if I messed with your design scheme or whatever…but I thought it would be cool to have something of your mum's with us for Christmas," he explained uneasily. "I wish I had such nice things to remember my dad after. All I have is an armchair, some old clothes and an urn. You should be happy you have such things to remember her, all those memories you made with her. I have none."

Kurt turned to him. "And sometimes I envy you that. Because…those memories, they can really hurt sometimes."

Finn seemed genuinely contrite now. "I'm sorry, Kurt," he mumbled. "I didn't think about it this way. I'll…I'll take it down."

"…but sometimes they make me the happiest kid alive. When I think how lucky I was to have even those few years with her, to know her and be loved by her."

"Which…one is it now?" Finn asked tentatively.

"The latter. Thanks to you," Kurt said and came up to Finn, putting his arms around him. "This is the greatest present you could ever give me."

Finn patted his brother awkwardly and they stayed like that for a while.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, Finn?"

"Does this mean I don't have to buy you anything more for Christmas?"

* * *

This one was a bit more 'wordy' and more serious, but I figure Christmas is that time of the year that we celebrate and share with our loved ones but also feel the absence of those of them who are gone, so I think Kurt would remember his mom, and it wouldn't be easy for him. Another reason why I'm so glad Finn's there for him now;)

Also, if you haven't read it yet and don't know what the talk about the squirrel beanie at the beginning was about, you can go to chapter 10 to find out;)

Reviews are love;D

Have a great weekend, everyone!


	16. Finn's Present Plot and What Came of It

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **I didn't get Glee for Christmas so nope, still not mine…Maybe next year;)

**A/N: **Sorry I didn't get to post this chapter before Christmas but once my family got into preparations around Thursday, I didn't have a single hour left to write until now…I hope you don't mind and enjoy this bit of Christmas-centred Furtness, this time with a special guest appearance;) Or two.

_And a special dedication to my little sister, who had her name day on Christmas Eve;)_

* * *

**Finn's Present Plot And What Came Of It**

The doorbell rang breaking the silence in the Hummel-Hudson household. Finn and Kurt, both sitting in the dining room, exchanged quick looks. Then they both flew out of their chairs and bolted for the door. A scuffle in the hall ensued as the doorbell rang again.

"I want to meet him!" Finn complained trying to get ahead of Kurt.

"You've already met him, you dimwit!" Kurt managed through gritted teeth as Finn pressed him to the wall, pushing all the air out of his lungs. "He was at the Sectionals, remember?"

"Yeah, but someone forgot to introduce us." Finn scowled, barely avoiding Kurt's elbow connecting with his ribs, only to let out a surprised groan when Kurt whirred around and landed his other elbow in the same place.

"Who said anything about forgetting?" Kurt asked pointedly though his voice might have carried more clout if he wasn't in Finn's chokehold.

"Are you saying you're ashamed of me?"

The taller boy loosened his grip and Kurt used the opportunity to stomp on Finn's foot and set himself free for just enough to reach the door first. He flung it open just when Finn lunged at him from behind and they were both propelled through the door onto the porch. The person waiting on the other side jumped to the side and stared at the two of them.

"Have I come too early?" Blaine asked looking at the tangle of arms and legs groaning on the porch floor.

"Um…no," came Kurt's muffled voice as he scrambled to his feet, somewhat disheveled and flushed. "We were just…"

"…playing video games," Finn offered helpfully and hoisted himself up next to Kurt, who glared at him. Finn shrugged. "Wii tennis. It was a nasty smash."

"Tennis? I'd like to see you two play box, then," Blaine said wryly trying hard not to laugh as he saw Kurt's venomously embarrassed look directed first at Finn and then at himself.

"We're not allowed to anymore." Finn grinned and held his hand out to Blaine. "I'm Finn."

The black-haired boy took his hand with a smile. "Blaine. Nice to finally meet you in person."

"Same here." Finn reciprocated the smile. "Kurt can't shut up about you when he comes home and he has like this shrine with your picture and…"

"Thank you, Finn," Kurt cut him off turning nine shades of red. "I think you've already embarrassed me for a life time in-" He looked at his watch. "-ten seconds. I think that's a new record. Now shut up before Blaine runs away screaming and cursing the day he met me."

"You're not getting rid of me this easy." Blaine chuckled as the three of them went inside. "And as I recall, you desperately need my help with Christmas shopping?"

"I do. Though now-" He shot Finn a pointed look. "-I have one less present to buy."

"You don't have a present for me yet?" Finn asked wounded. "What kind of brother are you?"

"The only one you've got so deal with it," Kurt said wryly. Then he turned to Blaine. "I'm going to get myself in order, it will be just a sec. Make yourself at home." Kurt gestured at the dining room. "Finn – try not to scare Blaine away."

Finn rolled his eyes and had it not been for Blaine, he'd have done a somewhat more articulate gesture in Kurt's direction but he stopped himself and just looked at the other boy, who was looking around the dining room.

"So, did _you_ get Kurt a present already?" Blaine suddenly asked turning to Finn with a knowing glance.

"Well, technically, I've got this great idea…only it's not very specific yet and I'm still working on it so I couldn't go to the mall yet."

Blaine smiled at him. "So basically…you didn't and have no idea what to buy."

"Yeah," Finn admitted despondently. "It's just that…it's Kurt, you know. He's become a really special person in my life and I want to buy him something that shows how much he means to me and that I'm here for him. So I can't just buy him a batch of hair shampoo or new socks."

"Probably not." Blaine chuckled. "Though from what I hear, you've been quite the destructive force when it comes to his socks, so maybe you should reconsider."

"Oh, man! He told you about that?" Finn exclaimed. "Washing clothes is really harder than it looks! And how was I to know he had whites in there already?"

"Relax, he's not angry about that. Not anymore, anyways." Blaine flashed him a wide smile. "Deep inside, he doesn't really care about those things."

"It must be _really_ deep 'cause he looked like he cared a _lot_ when he chased me around the house threatening me with a can opener after I got his white jeans and socks pink," Finn huffed. "I had no idea you could _do_ such things with a can opener."

"Kurt has a creative mind," Blaine deadpanned. "And about the present, don't sweat it. Anything you get him will be fine."

Finn looked at him skeptically. "Can I have that in writing? In case he goes after me?" he asked and Blaine raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't see him with that can opener," he added.

"Note to self: keep Kurt away from can openers," the Dalton boy chuckled.

"Seriously, you think he won't be mad if I don't get his present right?" Finn asked with concern. "I mean, I've never bought a present for a dude before and this is no regular dude, either. It's _Kurt_."

"I hear you but I'm dead serious. What matters is that you've given time and thought to it and you tried. Kurt may look and act the material girl but he's so not. And he really loves and respects you."

"Respects?" Finn asked incredulously. "He thinks I'm a moron."

"Well, you do have problems turning the washing machine on."

Finn scowled. "Thanks."

"I'm kidding, Finn. Kurt would never call you stupid. Trusting and naïve – those are the words he used. And maybe a couple others after he found out about the pink-dyed jeans." Blaine grinned. "He won't admit it but he thinks you're endearing. And he likes that about you because he gets to be the big brother."

"Wow, how come you know this much about him?"

Blaine felt a blush starting to creep onto his cheeks. "I…we hang out, we talk."

"You like him, don't you?"

"It's complicated," Blaine said uneasily.

Finn was relentless. "Does he know?"

Blaine sighed. "I'd rather he didn't for now."

"Why? He likes you, too."

"Did he tell you that?" Blaine asked faster than he could think, cursing the hopeful lilt in his voice that he knew didn't escape Finn.

"Not in so many words but I know the signs. First hand," Finn said knowingly. "The thing is, what are you going to do about it?"

"Is this the part where you tell me to keep my hands to myself and that you'll keep an eye on me?"

"Nope. This is the part where I threaten to beat you to death with a shovel if you hurt him. And after that, Burt will cut off all your limbs with a chainsaw." Blaine looked at him, a mixture of incredulity and incomprehension on his face. "A vague disclaimer accomplishes nothing," Finn added with a pleasant smile.

"Right. What is it with this family and wielding metal household objects?"

"We don't have cable so we have to make our own fun."

Blaine laughed out and Finn followed suit. That's how Kurt saw them when he walked in ready to go, all styled hair and designer outfit.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm the butt of this joke? And a dozen other before that?"

"You leave your brother and your friend alone together after we've just met for the first time," Finn said. "What did you think we'd talk about?"

"Glee club? Football? The weather and the state of roads?"

"You're selling yourself short, Kurt," Blaine said. "You're a far more interesting subject. Besides, we're not British. We go straight for the awkward topics."

"I'm an awkward topic?"

"Well, you do have those strange little quirks. Like your obsession with healthy food."

"And he takes _ages_ in the bathroom," Finn joined in eagerly.

"And when he's studying, he has to have all his study books, texts and notes put in alphabetical order, and his pencils have to be in _one line_."

"_And _he hasn't read the Harry Potter books!"

"Yeah, what's with that? I mean, really!"

"Hey, I'm standing right here, guys."

They both looked at him. "So?" Finn asked.

"You can exchange notes later," Kurt rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Blaine, you're here to talk to _me_ and help _me_, and we're leaving. Finn, I hear the upstairs bathroom Carole told you to clean calling."

Finn shot him a resentful look. "You're really mean, you know that? And how come you never clean the bathroom anymore?"

"It might have something to do with the fact that I'm not actually _here_."

"You're here now."

"Not anymore," Kurt said wryly and stepped out the door.

Finn looked at Blaine.

"Blaine, you might wanna reconsider being friends with him. Under that innocent, angel-like shell, there's a little monster," Finn said keeping a very serious face. "He'll take away all your food-"

"-_junk _food, and it's an offense to call it food at all." Kurt cut in putting his head through the door.

"...make you clean up your room every day," Finn continued unfazed though Blaine noticed he was inching his way in Kurt's direction.

"-and that is a bad thing how?" Kurt asked putting his hands on his hips, not noticing Finn's progress towards him.

"...won't let you play your video games," Finn went on giving Blaine a wink, and Blaine had to try really hard to not burst into peals of laughter.

"-at two in the morning on a school night. Gosh, I'm such a monster!" Kurt threw his hands in the air. He turned to Blaine. "You should really..."

At that moment Finn let out a sound that could only be interpreted as an Indian war cry and lunged at Kurt, tackling him from the side.

"Not again!" Kurt screeched. "The hair! Not the hair, you dimwit!"

Blaine watched the tangle of hands and feet on the floor, not able to contain his laughter anymore. Those two together was positively one of the most adorable things he had ever seen. After a moment, though, he decided to step in before there was permanent damage done to the porch.

"The brotherly love will have to wait, guys." He said as he separated them. He took Kurt by the shoulder and pushed him in the direction of his car. "We're going."

"Has my hair survived the attack of the Flying Dumbass?" Kurt asked.

Blaine had to fight hard not to laugh out again. He focused on Kurt's hair and gave it a critical look, Kurt's flushed look causing butterflies to build in his stomach.

"It's perfect," he said softly and leaned in to brush the countertenor's bangs lightly across his forehead. He could swear the colour in Kurt's cheeks deepened. He grinned.

Finn watched the two of them silently and could almost see the sparks flying. He still didn't feel totally comfortable with the idea but at that moment he wanted to scream 'Just kiss him already!' himself. Nothing of the sorts happened, though, and Kurt moved away.

"You're sweet but it's not," he said when he got his voice back. He turned to his stepbrother who was still standing on the porch with a suspicious expression on his face. "Finn Hudson, you are so dead when I come back," he hissed.

"Hide the can openers," Blaine threw over his shoulder at Finn as he dragged Kurt away.

"How do you know about…?" Kurt mumbled surprised but Blaine pushed him inside the car before he got to finish.

Finn gave the black-haired boy thumbs up and watched them drive away. As soon as they were out of sight, he reached for his phone.

"Mercedes? It's on," he said and went inside the house. He had one more thing left to do before Mercedes came over and he grinned to himself.

**XxXxXxX**

"Finn, you know this is ridiculous, right?"

Finn shot Mercedes a look through the branches of the Christmas tree they were hiding behind. The other shoppers at the mall who passed by were starting to give them strange looks.

"Hey, if I wanted to hear snarky comments, I'd just take Kurt with me."

"Yeah, why didn't you?" Mercedes put her hands on her hips. "Oh, wait, you can't because you're spying on him!"

"Hey, I've got to know what he's buying for me to make sure my present is ok."

"And that's the only reason?"

Before Finn could answer, she suddenly stood straight and waved weakly as she recognized her next door neighbor walking past and eyeing her suspiciously. "Hello, Mrs. Hollis," she greeted her through gritted teeth and dove deeper in between the branches. "Again, _why_ did I agree to do this?" she hissed.

"Because you're a nice person and you like me?"

Mercedes crossed her hands on her chest with a pout.

"And I promised to find out what Tony Rashad thinks about you," Finn said with a martyred sigh.

"You'd better not forget that part, white boy, or I will tell Kurt about this and he'll shave your head in your sleep."

"You think he could give me a mohawk?" Finn asked with a lopsided grin. Then he saw Mercedes wasn't joking. He shot her a reproachful look. "It's not like you're not getting anything out of this even without the inside scoop on the love life of the football team!"

"You mean _besides_ fir needles in my hair?" she scoffed trying to take some out of her bangs. "Boy, am I lucky!"

"Sarcasm accomplishes nothing, Mercedes."

"It was kinda an end in itself."

Finn sighed. "Don't think I don't know you wanted to see Kurt alone with Blaine and that's why you're really here."

"Well, I was curious how they're doing. You'd think they'd be together by now. I wonder why they're not."

"Couldn't you just ask Kurt?"

"I doubt he knows himself. Besides, watching them when they don't know we are tells me much more than Kurt ever could."

"You've given this a lot of thought. It's kinda…"

"…great that I care so much about him?"

"I was going for 'unsettling' or..."

"Here they come!" Mercedes grabbed his forearm. "And they've got present bags!"

"Where?" Finn whirred around, which proved to be catastrophic.

His scarf got caught in the branches and as he moved away, he took the tree with him, which made him lose his balance. He tried to steady himself by grasping Mercedes by the shoulder but that only made her stumble, too. They both fell face forward on the tree, which toppled with a crunching noise. The sound of broken glass and people's surprised screams followed.

"You ok?" Finn asked Mercedes as they both struggled to sit up in the middle of the Christmas-y mayhem.

"Mercedes? Finn?" came Blaine's surprised voice from the side.

Finn saw him navigate through the crowd towards them followed by a mortified Kurt.

"_What_ are you doing here?" Kurt asked, his eyes shooting daggers as he helped Finn up, Blaine doing the same with Mercedes.

"Shopping," Finn said evasively.

"And I am falling for that because of the surprise brain resection," Kurt said angrily as he helped Finn brush off tinsel and glass remains from his coat and hair.

"What's going on here?" came another voice. "I'm the manager, please let me through!"

Finn and Mercedes blanched as a surly, very angry man emerged from the crowd and gaped at the destruction.

"Is this of your doing, young man?" he asked Finn, who was still covered in Christmas debris.

"Um…I…" Finn mumbled.

"No, sir. This is of _your_ doing," Kurt's commanding voice drew the manager's attention to him, and everyone looked at the petite boy standing up to the towering fuming man. "This tree was badly secured and there were no warning signs. My friends here were just walking by when this thing started to topple."

"That's not possible!"

"Maybe it was a Christmas miracle, then," Kurt shot back snidely. "I really don't care. What I care about is that my brother and my friend here could have gotten seriously injured because of your shortcomings in providing the appropriate security measures in this facility, which is your legal obligation under the Building Code." Kurt looked around and raised an eyebrow at the manager. "What if it was a little kid walking by?"

People started murmuring angrily and formed a tighter circle around the manager.

"I…I am sorry, sir." The man gulped, changing his tone and looking warily at the crowd. "I will look into this immediately. My apologies." He turned to the gathered people. "Please disperse now, everything's fine."

Using the commotion and deciding not to push their luck, the four of them disappeared in the crowd. They walked in complete silence to Blaine's car. When they got in, Blaine burst into laughter. Mercedes soon joined in and Finn followed.

"That was so cool!"

"You're my man, Kurt!"

"You, sir, I don't ever want as my enemy."

Kurt looked at them, still not placated, and crossed his hands on his chest. "Finn, Mercedes, might I know what this was about? Why did I just have to go Ally McBeal on that poor man in front of half of Lima?"

"I was blackmailed into this," Mercedes said quickly.

"You were not!" Finn protested.

"Hey, if it's his anger versus yours, I choose yours any time."

Finn rolled his eyes. Then he turned to Kurt. "You know how we spoke about presents earlier? Well, there was a tiny problem with that. So I asked Mercedes to help and we came here, then we saw you and I didn't want you to see us so we got behind that tree and then I got caught in the branches and…" Finn let his voice trail furrowing his eyebrows. "When I was saying this in my head, it made a lot more sense."

Kurt turned to Blaine. "I hope you know I don't really know these people. I just thought you'd like me better if I had friends so I hired them."

Blaine chuckled. "I like you just fine. And you have great friends."

"Were we in the same place just now?"

The black-haired boy shook his head and started the engine. The way back proved to be very entertaining with Kurt grilling Finn about what they were doing at the mall and Finn trying desperately to make something up, inventing the most ridiculous reasons.

When they all got out, Finn stopped Mercedes so that Kurt and Blaine would walk in front of them.

"What's with you, Finn?" she asked.

"Look up." Finn smiled motioning at the porch roof where a big bundle of mistletoe hung.

"Oooh." The girl smiled mischievously. "They don't know, do they?"

"Not yet," Finn said looking at the two boys.

They watched them unwittingly walk onto the porch and stand right under the mistletoe.

"You coming?" Kurt asked turning to look at his brother and friend, who were still standing at the car.

"In a sec. We've got to see something first."

"What?"

"Um, Kurt…" Blaine started. "Look up."

Kurt did and his eyes widened. "That wasn't there when we were leaving." He narrowed his eyes at his stepbrother.

"Finn…"

"You can thank me later!" Finn hollered from his vantage spot next to Mercedes, big grins on their faces.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss!" Mercedes joined in, jumping up and down with mischief in her eyes.

"Can you speak louder? I don't think they heard you in Beijing," Kurt said snidely feeling his face burn. "I'm sorry," he said avoiding Blaine's eyes. "Those two have the delicacy of a sledge hammer and..." Kurt's words abandoned him then as the other boy's fingers touched his chin, moving it so that he was looking Blaine in the eyes.

"Kurt? Shut up and kiss me already."

* * *

This really went its own way – blame the eggnog and excessive food;D I hope you liked this (How did you like my take on Finn meeting Blaine?) – drop me a line if you did, there isn't a better Christmas present!

I hope you had wonderful Christmas and wish you all the best for the coming New Year!


	17. Finally Been Kissed

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope. The Santa was mean and didn't bring me Glee for Christmas so it's still not mine.

**A/N: Thank you so much for all your reviews, alerts, faves and reads! You've all totally made my day! And now, to return the favour…**

**I've gotten quite a lot comments from you that the last chapter wasn't resolved satisfactorily enough…so, especially for you, I've decided to do a small follow-up;) **This chapter picks up right where the previous one left off.

* * *

**Finally Been Kissed**

"Pay up, Mercedes," Finn said extending his open hand towards her.

"Hey, they aren't kissing yet!" the girl protested, pushing his hand away. "They're just standing there mooning over each other like two love-struck teenagers."

"Well, they kinda are two love-struck teenagers…"

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Congratulations on your keen observing skills, Jessica Fletcher."

"Who's Jessica Fletcher?"

"Boy, someone was raised in a culture-free environment."

"I resent that! I'm very…cultural."

"Sure you are," she said absent-mindedly as her eyes wandered to the two boys on the porch. She stomped her feet and huffed. "This is so anticlimactic."

"I don't think the climate has anything to do with it," Finn said. His eyes didn't leave Kurt and Blaine, and he didn't see the incredulous look Mercedes gave him. "But seriously, why is this taking so long? Do gay dudes have some kind of code of honour they have to obey or something?"

Mercedes looked at him. "I'm straight. I'm a girl. How am I supposed to know?"

"I dunno. You're his best friend…"

"And you're his brother."

"Which makes me like the last person on Earth Kurt would talk to about those things. Especially after…"

"…his fatal attraction phase?"

"And everything else." Finn shifted his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. "He's only just really stopped hating me so I don't wanna push it."

"He never hated you, Finn." Mercedes patted him on the shoulder, both of them forgetting about the bet and the two boys on the porch. "But he's a very proud guy and you seriously hurt his ego so for a time he was ashamed to face you."

"Seriously? _He _was ashamed? I'm the one who should…"

Mercedes held up her hand. "Finn, wrong address! Have you actually told any of this to _Kurt_?"

Finn shook his head.

"Jeez! Boys!" Mercedes raised her eyes to the sky, then looked back at him. "Talk is good, you know. That way you get to know what the other side thinks and all."

Finn shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. "We prefer to sulk in manly solitude and solve our problems with fists."

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Well, sulking really isn't what it's cracked up to be and…" Finn began but stopped when a shiver shook him as a gust of cold wind hit them. He turned towards the porch with a frown. "Hey, they're still just standing there!"

"Guys, we're getting cold out here!" Mercedes hollered impatiently in their direction. "Just kiss already or I'm gonna get there and make you!"

On the porch, Blaine and Kurt gave them sideways looks and turned back to each other. The older boy chuckled lightly.

"Think we should put them out of their misery already?" he whispered, his face inches from Kurt's.

_How about my misery? _Kurt thought smiling weakly and feeling like his knees were about to buckle under him. He frantically sought for something reasonable to say and then his tongue leaped ahead of his brain.

"Not yet," he blurted. "They deserve it. Plus, the longer it takes, the more Finn has to pay up and I've got a share in Mercedes' winnings."

_Sarcasm. At _this_ moment. Great going, Kurt, _he kicked himself mentally.

Blaine didn't seem to mind, though, and if the brilliant smile he gave him was any indicator, he thought it was actually funny.

"Does she know about it?"

"Not yet."

"You, sir, are evil."

"That's why you like me, right?"

Why, oh why did he just say that? What if Blaine _didn't_ like him? What if all this talk was just his usual, casual flirting self and nothing more? Kurt decided he would have a serious talk with his tongue and brain later. But hey, he was _really_ nervous. Which was to be expected if you were about to kiss the boy you were head-over-heels for. Right? The butterflies in his stomach were normal, weren't they? He looked at Blaine, who seemed to be as cool and suave as always and he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Yes, I'm smitten with your bad-boy persona," the black-haired boy said wryly.

Kurt chuckled though it came out more strained and higher than he'd wish. His heart was beating like mad, his palms were getting clammy and he seemed to forget how to swallow.

"You're…smitten? With me?"

"Of course I am, dummy. I just didn't think that was what you wanted."

"And now…you do? How?"

Mischievous sparks glinted in Blaine's dark eyes. "Well, Finn's mention of a certain shrine in my name might have something to do with it."

Kurt felt colour creep up his cheeks. "I knew you were an attention whore," he quipped after a while.

Blaine laughed. "Am not."

"You so are."

"You know, it takes one to know one."

"Touché."

"Less talking, more kissing!" came Finn's impatient voice. "One more minute and I'll have to slave myself out to Mercedes to pay her up!"

"As much fun as it would be to see that…" Kurt said turning to Blaine. "For once, I think Finn actually has a point and…"

Kurt never got to finish because Blaine closed the distance between them and brushed his lips against Kurt's. If Kurt were a sixteen-year-old girl, he would say they fit against each other perfectly, like they were made for each other. But he wasn't so he just focused on the delightful warmth spreading through him as Blaine's lips moved over his. He didn't really know what to do with his hands but Blaine put his arms around him and it didn't really matter anymore.

For the first time Kurt didn't feel self-conscious, or guilty or scared, he just felt happy and oblivious. And then he felt the cold air sting his skin as one of Blaine's hands rested on the small of his back, curling the hem of his jacket and sweater slightly up, and he gasped. He didn't move away, though, because for all the things that were imperfect – the cold, his disheveled hair and the peanut gallery catcalling from the sidewalk – it was so perfect. This was his first _real_ kiss and it was more than he could ever imagine. Tentatively, he allowed his hand to slowly wander up Blaine's chest when…

"When you're done eating each other's faces-" came booming into Kurt's ear and he instinctively jerked, breaking the kiss. He looked into Finn's eyes, who was standing on the porch with Mercedes now and was wearing a very smug grin on his face.

"I'd just like to say, you got _so_ punked, dudes. That thing up there isn't really mistletoe," Finn continued, not in the least bit discouraged by the withering look Kurt gave him. "We didn't have any anymore so this is just some shrub I found in the winter garden."

That seemed to burst Kurt out of his blissful bubble back into Finn-ridiculous reality.

"What _shrub_?"

"A…shrubby one?"

"You mean the bergamot plant that I've been growing for the last year and use for my cleansing face mask?" Kurt said in a creepily calm voice looking up and ascertaining that hanging from the ceiling was indeed the said plant.

"I dunno." Finn shrugged. "It was green and had leaves so I thought it would do."

Blaine and Mercedes shared amused looks.

"I was in a hurry, ok?" Finn said making a step back. He looked to Blaine. "Dude, make out with him again or something or he's gonna kill me!"

Kurt gave Finn a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm in a good mood, I'll settle for maiming."

"Blaine? Mercedes? Help?"

Blaine shook his head and turned to Kurt. "Technically, if it wasn't for Finn destroying your bergamot, we wouldn't have gotten together. Plus, it's a really ugly plant, Kurt. He did you a favour."

"Listen to Blaine, Kurt! He's really smart!"

"As for you, Finn-" Blaine turned to the other brother. "-you're twice as big as he is and you're the _quarterback_. He's a scrawny elf of a boy. You could take him anytime."

"Hey!" Kurt turned to him with an indignant cry. "You're supposed to be on my side! And I'm not scrawny! I'm lithe!"

"We love you anyway," Blaine said in a mock condescending tone and that seemed to shut Kurt up as he looked back to the black-haired boy with a blush.

"Can you come live with us?" Finn asked, very impressed by Blaine's intervention. "Or are you available for hire? Like, for settling family fights and stuff? 'Cause we need someone full-time."

"Sorry, I'm booked two years ahead," Blaine deadpanned. "You'll have to learn to deal with your issues yourselves."

Finn looked to Kurt, and Kurt looked back to him. Then Finn seemed to have come to some sort of a decision and he put a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"You know I love you, little bro, right? And I'll buy you a new berryroot to prove it."

"Bergamot," Kurt corrected him absent-mindedly, staring at his stepbrother in amazement. For Finn to announce something like this in public was big, really big. He crossed his arms on his chest.

"You think you can just say something like that and I'll simply let this go?" Kurt asked with an unreadable expression on his face. Finn's face fell. "Then you're right," Kurt chuckled and Finn looked at him relieved.

He made a move to put his arms around Kurt but the smaller boy moved away.

"Don't push it."

Finn shrugged and proceeded to grab Kurt in a chokehold, ruffling his hair.

"My hair! Let go!"

"Say you love me, too!"

"No friggin' way!"

"If I said it in public, so can you!" Finn persisted administering another round of ruffling to Kurt's already damaged hair.

Kurt growled cattily trying to unsuccessfully set himself free. "Ok! Ok! I love you…" he began and Finn let him go. "…not," he finished triumphantly backing away.

"You know what that means…" Finn said menacingly stepping over to Kurt, who didn't wait this time but ran for it.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how we solve problems in Glee club…" Mercedes quipped looking on with Blaine as Finn started after Kurt with a happy war cry on his lips.

* * *

You want it, you got it! It's shorter than usual but this was completely spur-of-the-moment – I just sat at the computer this morning and wrote this down off the top of my head after reading your comments:D I hope you liked this! Comments/thoughts highly appreciated!

And to answer any doubts, the chapters in this story are usually not connected plot-wise (though I try to keep them in canon), except for some special circumstances, like here;)

Stay tuned, **a New Year's chapter** coming to the computer near you on Friday!


	18. New Year Resolutions

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee's not mine, I'm just your run-of-the mill fangirl;)

**A/N: **I posted my first ever story a year ago here so I figured it could be kinda nice to update this today;)

Sorry for the delay but I got deviously spirited away by my friends on Friday and only got back today. I hope you yourselves had a great time on New Year's Eve! Happy New Year!

* * *

**New Year Resolutions**

"Remind me again, why didn't I bind you and throw you into the basement _before_ I began doing anything party-related?"

"Because I'm too big and you wouldn't be able to carry me downstairs?"

"A fair point," Kurt admitted thoughtfully. "I like your practical thinking. Which you could have applied _before you_ _locked us in the pantry with no one to free us for the next two hours_."

"It was an accident!"

"Why is it that those _accidents_ only ever happen to you, Finn?"

"Bad luck?"

Kurt scoffed. "You don't think it may have _anything_ to do with your laziness and sloppiness?"

"Is _sloppiness _even a word?"

"So not the point, Finn," Kurt snapped. "The point is that if you only paid a little bit attention to what's going on around you and at least pretended to be interested in doing some household chores, maybe you would know your way around here and these things wouldn't happen."

"Hey, you've lived here since you were a kid and you had like ten years to learn how to do all that! Me, I've just moved from a closet with cowboy wallpaper where my mom did all those things. And here...you always do. Or did."

Kurt just opened and closed his mouth in indignation. "This kind of thinking got us in this situation in the first place," he finally said. "And I refuse to be your chore whore just because I actually know how to iron clothes," he added crossing his hands on his chest.

Finn stared at him. "Dude, that is so not fair! Wait…mine _what_?"

"Again, not the point," Kurt enunciated trying to move away but not succeeding considering the small space they were in.

"You know, the fact is that even when I want to help, you never give me a chance to do anything, even now that you aren't home during the week! You're always oh-so-quick to assume I'll screw up!"

"Can you blame me?" Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "There are still tomato stains on the kitchen ceiling and Mrs. Dippet from next door still looks at me funny after the last time I let you do _anything_."

"Ok, yes," Finn admitted trying to shift to look at Kurt but ended up only bumping his knee on one of the lower shelves. "Occasionally I might make spaghetti explode but if you just let me do something for you, I think I might surprise you, you know."

"I don't doubt that."

"Really, Kurt?" Finn sounded wounded. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you and you're doing your sarcasmy thing?"

Kurt sighed. "It's a bit hard to have any serious conversation when we're practically sitting on each other in a dark, locked closet."

"It's the perfect place!"

"I'll be sure to let Dr. Phil know."

"Kurt, I'm serious."

"So am I," Kurt shot back. "Let's take today. If you want to help like you say you do, why did you spend all morning and afternoon killing your stupid zombies?"

"We're having a tournament with Puck and Mike at the party, I had to get in my A-shape..." Finn let his voice trail under Kurt's glare. "...but the real thing is, you've had your 'Don't come near without a stick' face all day so I stayed away."

"My _what _face?" Kurt asked angrily, trying to put his hands on his hips but ended up elbowing Finn in the side. This closet-talk was proving really challenging. "Oh, you mean my angry and disappointed look because I had to clean and prepare the whole house for the party on my own?"

"Oh."

"And don't think I don't know you only wanted to help with the baking because you thought you could eat the cookie dough while I'm not looking."

"That's not true!" Finn exclaimed but felt all his air of indignity go out of him under Kurt's skeptical look. "Ok, it was _part _of the reason," he admitted. "But I really wanted to help."

"And I let you." Kurt shook his head. "And so we find ourselves locked in the pantry."

Finn sighed and absent-mindedly tried to shove his hands in his pockets like he always did when he felt awkward and bad about something. This time, though he didn't take into account that he was squeezed into a very small space, with his left side tightly pressed against Kurt's right, and he ended up putting one hand in Kurt's jeans backpocket. They both yelped in surprise, and Kurt jumped up about four feet in the air, hitting his forehead against Finn's.

"Ouch!" The taller boy exclaimed rubbing his head. "Dude, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! Did I really deserve a head-butt?" he asked reproachfully feeling the growing bump on his forehead.

"What was _that_?" Kurt gasped, clasping his own reddened forehead. "If you wanted to change the topic, you could have just said!"

"I just wanted to put my hands in _my _pockets," Finn mumbled, his face burning. He refused to look Kurt in the eye, afraid how furious he'd be with him.

"And you end up feeling me up," Kurt said with a shake of his head. Finn looked at him and to his amazement, he saw his stepbrother's lips were twitching with a smile. He couldn't be that mad, then, right? "Only you, Finn Hudson, only you."

"You're…not mad?"

"A year ago I'd have killed for you doing that," Kurt said wryly and the taller boy smiled, relieved.

"Timing was never my strong suit," Finn deadpanned. Kurt chuckled and Finn joined him.

A couple months back, he would have been totally weirded out by a conversation like this and mortified at the whole thing but he had done lots of growing up lately and could appreciate how self-deprecating and cool Kurt had become about his crash on him and what's more, Finn learned to do the same. That was one of the greatest things about being Kurt's brother – however cheesy that sounded, he had actually become a better person because of him.

"Though the shiner I _will _hold against you."

"Why? It makes you look like a tough guy. Like you were in a fight or something."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Because that's the look I'm aiming for," he said, gently feeling the growing bump on his head and hissing as it stung. "Another thing I have to take care of before the party and for which I won't have enough time because a certain dunderhead doesn't know how to use a lock and we're stuck here!"

"Hey, who's worse – the dunderhead or the guy who goes into the pantry after the dunderhead?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It sounded like you were fighting for your life in here! I had to check!"

"I think that iron was going for the kill but I would have handled it!"

"That's what I was afraid of."

"Anyways, who puts an iron on the very edge of the upper shelf?"

"Maybe someone who isn't a giant of a teenager with excessively long limbs and can't reach any further?"

"Well, you could have used a chair or something because that is really dangerous!"

"Finn Hudson, you will be allowed to lecture me about the possible dangers of handling household utensils when you learn to use the door," Kurt said managing to put his hands in front of him to cross them on his chest. That proved to be a mistake because now he couldn't disentangle them. "Until then we have nothing to talk about," he finished getting his arms free again.

"Hey, you pushed me and I lost my balance!"

"Oh, so it's my fault now?"

"It's nobody's fault, Kurt. Why can't you just accept this and stop bitching?"

"I'd love to, Finn, but-

"-you like bitching too much?" the taller boy asked with a grin.

Kurt shot him a withering look. "You know, for a guy who I'm planning to _kill slowly_ when we get out of here, you aren't trying very hard to get on my good side here."

Finn shrugged.

"What I wanted to say before you interrupted me – how can I not be bitchy when we've got a whole house to prepare for the New Year's party for thirty plus people, which starts in three hours, the girls will be here to help in ninety minutes at best, which means we're stuck here till then, _and _there's a whole batch of cookies in the oven!"

"Oh, good, maybe the fire brigade will let us out when they come to put out the fire…ouch!" he exclaimed in surprise as Kurt elbowed him in the side. "What was that for? I was for once being ironic like you _always_ are and I get elbowed for it?"

"Irony can be ironic like that," Kurt deadpanned.

Finn shot him a reproachful look. "I really dislike you right now. And I'm not talking to you anymore."

"Think you'll be able to keep this up for the rest of the day?" Kurt asked in a mock hopeful tone.

Finn refused to look at him and they were both engulfed in a silent war. The taller boy grinned when he heard an exasperated sigh somewhere near his right shoulder.

"Ok, I'm sorry," Kurt conceded. "But can you see how I'm not amused by fire jokes when there really could be one and we're locked here and can't get out?"

"Oh, come on, how can cookies even get on fire?"

"Like everything else?"

"The worst thing that could happen is that they'll turn into charcoal and the kitchen will smell of burnt dough for a couple of hours," Finn said with a shrug. "Believe me, I _know_."

"And here I never thought your expertise in turning food into chunks of coal would come in handy," Kurt scoffed. "Strangely, though, I am a bit calmer."

The taller boy sniggered and his eyes started to wander over the shelves stocked with food left from Christmas and lots of new Kurt had been preparing for the last two days for the party. He grinned.

"Hey, at least we won't starve."

Kurt looked at him incredulously. "Yes, we won't die of hunger in ninety minutes. What a relief! I knew I could trust you to find a silver lining," he snorted but when Finn's hand reached for the cookies, he slapped it away. "It's for the party!"

"But I'm hungry!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. Then his eyes rested on something on the shelf to his left and he smiled mischievously. "Then you can have-" he moved around reaching for the object that got his attention. "-this." He held out a stalk of celery to him.

Finn gave the vegetable and then Kurt a withering look. "You're lucky there's so little space here or I would shove this…"

"Language, Hudson!" Kurt cut him off.

"...down your collar," Finn finished with a confused expression. "What did you think I...oh," he said with a growing grin.

Kurt shook his head and after a moment's thought started munching on the celery himself.

Finn looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"How can you eat that?"

"This question coming from a person who thinks microwave mac'n'cheese is the world's best dinner doesn't deserve an answer," Kurt said haughtily and took another bite of the celery with a meaningful crunch.

"Whatever. But I swear, one of these days you'll turn into a rabbit."

"Rabbits don't eat celery," Kurt pointed out matter-of-factly.

"I'm not surprised. It's disgusting."

"It's healthy."

"I don't think it's _healthy_ to eat only healthy stuff all the time."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, isn't there a saying about eating too much vegetables and turning orange or green or something?"

"No."

"Well, there should be."

"You know, somewhere in this conversation you're gonna have to start making sense, Finn."

"What I'm trying to say is that doing something and not caring about how it will affect your hips or skin or nails or whatever from time to time is good. It's called fun."

Kurt put down the remaining celery. "The famous Finn Hudson talk about the joys of life..." He grabbed the plate of cookies and shoved it into Finn's chest. "Here, you can have the cookies. Knock yourself out. Please."

"You know I'm right," Finn huffed but took the cookies before Kurt could change his mind. "And as for joys of life...how's it going with Blaine?"

Kurt shot him an incredulous look. "You want to talk boys with me."

Finn shifted awkwardly. "I'm not that happy about the subject...but Blaine's a cool guy and he matters to you a lot...so he matters to me, too."

Kurt needed a moment for his stepbrother's words to sink in. "Who are you and what have you done to Finn Hudson?"

"You're not making this any easier, you know?"

Kurt smiled. "I know. Continue."

Finn shook his head, then ploughed on. "I'm always talking to you about my stuff and girls and you're cool about it so I thought the least I could do is try to give the favour back."

"Finn, you don't _owe_ me anything. If this topic makes you uncomfortable...and I know for a fact it does...then you really don't have to talk about it."

"No, that's not what I mean!" Finn exclaimed. "I'm not doing this because I feel obligated to! You're my brother and I promised you something at our parents' wedding. I meant it, too."

"I know, Finn."

"We haven't really talked much since you transferred and even now that you're here you're busy all the time. There's nothing wrong with it," Finn added quickly. "I just want to know how you're doing. Like, do I need to take Puck, Sam and Mike and go Braveheart on the Warblers?"

Kurt found he couldn't stop smiling the whole time Finn was speaking. He would never admit it aloud but the truth of the matter was, leaving his stepbrother behind was one of the most difficult parts of transferring to Dalton and it was heart-warming to know the other boy felt the same way.

"No, my private Secret Service unit isn't necessary and I'm doing just fine."

"Ok," Finn said though he didn't seem entirely convinced. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"But if that Blaine kid as much as hurts one hair on your head, I've got a shovel ready."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes. The _shovel_. Blaine told me about that delightful conversation you two had. He actually thought it was sweet."

Finn smiled.

"But I don't," Kurt added in a steely tone. "If you'd scared him off, I'd have killed you with that shovel myself."

"If he got scared off that easily, he wouldn't be worth your time."

Kurt fought the smile that was threatening to spoil his composure and raised an eyebrow at him. "You really want those cookies, don't you?"

"Why can't you believe I just want to be nice to you? I feel really bad about not helping more...and it's kinda cool not to be arguing with you for a change."

"It is." Kurt nodded. "And Finn? Thanks. It's good to know you have my back."

"Always, buddy." Finn grinned. "And you know what they say about New Year's Eve. That the whole year's going to be like this day."

"I really don't think that would be so great."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but we're locked in the pantry. Still."

"The girls will be here soon," Finn said. "So we might as well not argue some more," Finn shot Kurt a curious look. "So umm...what do you think of New Year resolutions?"

"Really? That's your idea of small talk?"

"Hey, no arguing. New Year resolutions, Kurt. Do you, like, think they're another 'token of commercialization designed to make us feel bad about ourselves and fuel the inner masochist' like what you said about marriage?" Finn asked, quoting quite proudly the diatribe Kurt had delivered on the topic a couple days ago.

Kurt gave him a surprised look. "Actually, I don't. But I'm impressed that you listened to what I said."

"It was a stretch and I had to look a few words up but I got there." Finn grinned and Kurt just shook his head. "So, do you make New Year resolutions? Since they aren't a token?"

Kurt cracked a smile before answering. "You really like that word, don't you?"

"I'm just showing off," Finn shrugged with an innocent smile. "Now stop changing the topic. I may be a football player who's been hit over the head a lot but I don't have anemia."

"You mean amnesia?"

"And here's for my great plan to impress you with my newly built vocabulary."

Kurt patted him on the shoulder, holding back a laugh. "It counts that you tried, Finn. And no, I don't make New Year resolutions."

"Why?"

"What's the point? You never really keep them anyway and only get frustrated about it. There are enough things to make me feel bad about my life without me adding some more to it."

"That...actually makes sense," Finn said thoughtfully. "In a totally depressing way."

"Thanks."

"I make resolutions every year. And sometimes I even get to keep them – like this one year we got together with Puck and decided to be diet buddies." Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Whenever one of us would feel the need to grab a burger or pizza, he would call the other and we'd ride together. That went really well." Kurt rolled his eyes. "And last year I promised I wouldn't bore my mom with the same excuses why I didn't go out with the garbage yet and think of some new ones. It's all about realizing what's really important for you in your life and trying to do something about it, Kurt. It's about being hopeful for the New Year. So for this year I promised to myself to stop playing so much Dead Rising 2 so that I can have more time to get better at Call of Duty because Puck totally beat me last week...

"-it's wonderful to know I have such an ambitious brother," Kurt cut in wryly but Finn just waved him off.

"...and also to learn to cook..."

"-that sounds suicidal not hopeful, Finn."

"Will you stop interrupting?" the other boy said. "And most of all, I promise to be the best brother in the world, the one you really deserve."

Kurt stared at his stepbrother silently. He couldn't mock that. Not that he would want to anyway. Just when he thought he had Finn all figured out, his stepbrother did or said something incredibly sweet and endearing like just now and Kurt found himself speechless and impressed. He thought about the long, tortuous path they had covered as brothers and friends in the last year, and how lucky he was he'd met Finn Hudson. In the turmoil of the last months, his stepbrother was one of the few constants in his life. True, it was a goofy and irritating constant but he wouldn't change him for any other brother.

"Finn that is..." he started when he finally got his voice back.

"-stupid, I know. And I'll probably fail more than once but that's what really matters to me and I'll do everything I can."

"No, it's not stupid, Finn. It's sweet and kind of...really great."

"Really?"

"Really really." Kurt chuckled. "So much so that I think I might change my mind about these resolutions this year."

"Are you gonna tell me? I told you mine!"

Kurt smiled. "Ok. For one, I promise to teach you how to cook..." Finn grinned. "-though I realize I'm digging my own grave here. And I also promise to be a good brother for you."

"Nah, you're already great. It's me that's got some work to dohere. But hey, I've got an idea for a resolution for you."

"Oh?"

"How about you promise not to kill me when I tell you something?"

"Finn, what did you do?" Kurt asked warily and seeing the expression on Finn's face, a thought started dawning on him. "You know perfectly well how to use the lock, don't you?"

"Of course I do. And I'm offended that you think I don't."

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "_Why _would you do that? And today, now? When you know how much work we've got to do?"

"I wanted to get your attention...so that we could talk."

Kurt rubbed his forehead with a sigh. "I don't suppose your cunning plan went as far as thinking of a way to get us out of here?"

"Well, I didn't think our parents would be out this early and I hoped they'd let us out...but I did get this just in case."

"Finn Hudson, is that a pick-lock? And you had it the whole time?" Kurt looked at the item in his brother's hands. "How did you even get it?"

"Having Puck as a friend has its perks, even if he's a girlfriend-stealing douchebag."

Kurt rolled his eyes and watched Finn start to work on the lock. "Do you even know how to use this?"

"Puck showed me."

"Wow, he's really a keeper."

"But before I open the door, you have to promise not to do anything to me."

"Define anything."

"Bodily harm. Shaving my hair. Jamming my Xbox. Drawing on my face with a marker while I'm asleep."

"Ok," Kurt said quickly. When Finn went back to the lock, he smiled evilly. "I'll just have to get creative."

"Hey!"

"Finn, don't push it, just open the damned door."

"One sec...ok, here it is!"

They both stumbled through the door, falling on each other. When they scrambled to sitting positions, their jaws dropped. Standing there and watching them were Blaine, Mercedes and Quinn.

"How long have you been standing here like this?" Finn asked.

"Long enough," Mercedes chuckled. "When neither of you answered your phones we decided to get here early to see if you haven't gone all Mortal Kombat on each other."

"And you didn't open the door?" Kurt asked incredulously.

"Nope. This was way too much fun." Blaine grinned.

Kurt glared at him.

"Hey, you can't be this mad at us," Quinn smiled. "We did save the cookies."

* * *

So, I hope you liked this first chapter of the New Year 2011! Lots more Furt to come this year! And hopefully on the show as well!

I wish you Gleeks and Kurtsies all the best for the New Year:)


	19. How Kurt and Finn Made History…Fly

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, no. Those two are Ryan Murphy's, as is the whole off Glee.

**A/N:** Argh, sorry for the long wait for this new chapter but RL's gotten busy _and_ it's exam time for me. As a matter of fact, I'm supposed to be cramming for an exam right now so of course this is when I get this Furt idea that I had to write down right now…and we're back to the beginning. Argh. Anyways, enough rambling, enjoy:)

* * *

**How Kurt and Finn Made History****…Fly**

The night had fallen over Ohio and all was quiet and calm under the soft blanket of the starry winter sky. The people of Lima were snugly tucked in their beds, dreaming of palm trees and chocolate fountains and slow, painful death of whomever invented the idea of subprime. Only Vinnie the cat dared the cold winter weather, roaming the sleepy streets of his neighbourhood in search of left-overs for his supper. He meowed happily as he caught a tasty smell from one of the houses.

He was half-way through a discarded can of tuna, purring contentedly, when he was brutally torn away from his midnight feast. He jumped high into the air as something papery and heavy came hurtling through the air towards him. Vinnie let out a terrified meow and ran for it.

Two heads leaned through the first floor window of the house, one disheveled and unkempt, the other perfectly coiffed.

"I think I hit a cat," Finn said in a worried tone. "Think it's ok?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "By the sound of it, it's fine," he said. "Definitely more fine than you're going to be if you _don't get your butt outside right now and get my textbook out of the snow_," he added in an icy tone.

"It's not my fault you can't catch!"

"I was supposed to _catch_ that? I was ducking for my life! "

Finn scratched the back of his neck in thought. "I _have _been working on my throwing arm lately. Both my arms - coach Bieste made me do push-ups for like the whole last week because I was 'warming up in a languid manner without any legitimate reason'. I still don't know what that means but I'll never do it again."

"It means you're a slob," Kurt said snidely and looked back to the window. "A slob with very strong arms. You're lucky the window was open."

Finn gulped. "Uh, yeah. My mom would totally scream her head off. And then bite off mine." He seemed to be considering the matter. "Or the other way round."

Kurt shook his head. "_Either _way, my textbook's still outside in the snow because of you. Get out there now."

Finn shrugged. "It's last year's history book. What do you need it for?"

Kurt looked at him incredulously. "You're _arguing_ with me. Really?"

"Not arguing," Finn said unfazed. "We're just having a civil exchange of opinions."

Kurt folded his arms on his chest. "Let me exchange my opinion with you. It will be short and have the form of a kick in the butt."

"Why is it always down to violence with you?" Finn asked with a crooked smile.

"Because that's how you deal with Neanderthals," Kurt shot back.

Finn looked at him with a hurt expression on his face. He would never be the master of the witty comeback like his stepbrother was but living with him had taught him a few things so now he was quick to reply. "You know Neanderthals tend to get violent for no reason at all and start hitting whatever's closest to them? In this case, you? They also like pulling hair out of snarky little boys' heads. By handfuls."

Kurt's lips twitched. "Firstly, I'm not _little_. Secondly, you'll never catch me alive." He lifted a warning finger as Finn made a step towards him. "Don't even think of trying. And get my frigging book before it _melts in the snow_!"

"Can books melt?"

"Figure of speech, Finn, and so not the point!" Kurt said in exasperation. "Get your ass downstairs! Now! I'm not kidding! And if that book has as much as a stain on it, I'll make you pay in ways you can't even imagine."

Finn listened to the tirade patiently. When Kurt was done, he gave him a skeptical look. Kurt was barefoot, wearing oversized flannel pajamas (Finn had gaped when he first saw Kurt actually _owned_ anything flannel) and his hair was for once un-gelled and just neatly combed down with his bangs over his forehead. In short, he looked like he was twelve. And if Kurt wasn't a guy and his friend and brother, Finn would risk saying he looked adorable.

Kurt followed Finn's look and pouted. "Ok, that probably would have sounded more intimidating if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas."

Finn barked out a short laugh as Kurt shot him a dark glare that really wasn't…okay, yeah, it was still pretty scary. Even with the pajamas.

"Fine, I'll go," he grumbled and reached for his shoes.

"_Thank you_," Kurt replied sarcastically as he watched him bolt down the stairs.

Shaking his head, he closed the window they'd opened to get some fresh air a couple minutes back, and took a look around Finn's room. He had come for the weekend from Dalton after Finn's desperate plea for help with trigonometry for his mid-term. Kurt had his own pile of homework and mid-terms but he couldn't leave his stepbrother in the lurch, especially after Finn had played dirty and sent him a picture of himself wearing his puppy-eye expression. Kurt couldn't honestly say no after that. So he drove over right after classes on Friday and after dinner and a short scuffle over where they were going to study (Finn won – he'd gotten sneaky at 'rock, paper, scissors' while Kurt was away – Mercedes probably enlightened him that you _could _change what you chose in each turn, damn her), they'd gotten down to studying.

It was past midnight now and Finn's room looked like a battle-field, with textbooks, homework and other random items strewn over every imaginable surface. The only clean and neat space was Finn's desk, where Kurt had arranged his study place. Finn preferred to study on his bed or on the floor in his 'study tent' because then he could do it lying, though Kurt wasn't sure that was such a good idea (he'd caught him dozing a couple of times already). As was learning in a place resembling a war zone. But Finn seemed to be ok with it, and Kurt just shrugged, going back to the desk just as his stepbrother re-appeared in the door waving his hand with the book triumphantly.

"Don't even think of _throwing_ it," Kurt said warningly, and Finn's hand fell to his side. "Books are _not_ projectiles, Finn," he added taking the textbook from his stepbrother and eyeing it critically. It was all soppy, crinkled and torn in several places.

"I guess that means no cookies for breakfast tomorrow?" Finn asked coyly.

"It's fine. You'll get your cookies," Kurt said. "I've got a new one."

"Then why did you…" Finn began.

"No book should be treated like you did this one," Kurt said airily. "But if I told you _that_, you'd've never gone for it."

Finn's eyes narrowed. Then he let out something that could only be interpreted as a war cry and lunged at the other boy.

Kurt gracefully jumped to the side with a chuckle and Finn missed him, falling face-down on the desk. He was up in no time and whirred around. Kurt took cover behind the study tent and when Finn tried to go around it from the left, Kurt swiftly moved to the right escaping Finn's grasp. When Finn turned right, Kurt was once again faster. They danced around like this for a good while before Kurt decided it was high time to change his tactics before Finn simply went through the tent and grabbed him. He almost made it to the door but Finn caught him by the collar and Kurt flew backwards, bouncing off Finn's chest. They both lost their balance and landed onto the tent. Finn laughed, wrestling Kurt to the ground and ruffling his hair affectionately.

"NOT THE HAIR!" the smaller boy screeched.

"That's what you get for being mean," Finn said in between bouts of laughter and gave Kurt's hair another ruffle. After another while he let him go. He didn't want to be murdered in his sleep after all.

Kurt scrambled to his feet and flicked his bangs off his eyes, trying to repair the damage. He scowled at the other boy.

"I'm never _ever_ studying with you again, Finn Hudson."

"Oh, come on," Finn said standing up and throwing himself onto his bed. "We both needed a break. My brain feels like scrambled eggs."

"Your brain is normally scrambled eggs, Finn."

Kurt ducked as a pillow flew through the air in his direction. Finn was laughing.

"You're having as much fun as me, admit it."

"Not yet," Kurt said, his eyes taking on a mischievous glint. Without looking, he grabbed the first item that got into his hands and chucked it at his stepbrother. "Now I am." He smiled.

And then his jaw fell as he watched the once again air-borne history book fly through the air, because that was what he had blindly grabbed onto. The book did a perfect arch in the air, missing Finn by a foot, and gracefully flew through the window.

Only this time the window was closed.

The crash was loud.

They both stared. Finn turned to Kurt with a lop-sided grin on his face.

"There _is _justice in the world," he said.

Kurt sighed. His hair was damaged, he had tons of studying to do and his stepbrother was in ADD phase. And in the morning, he had to face the wrath of one Carole Hudson-Hummel.

"Your turn to get the book," Finn added, the insufferable grin still plastered to his face.

_And that._

This was going to be a long night. Watching from the other side of the street, Vinnie thought the same.

* * *

Oh, yes, this is going to be a long night…but I hope at least some good comes out of it and I got you to smile! I hope this was ok because I wrote it in one go just now. Let me know - it will definitely cheer me up:) And now I'm going back to cramming…

PS. I actually wrote this longer but the second part kinda stands better on its own…so expect another chapter on Sunday. If I my brain doesn't turn into scrambled eggs in the mean time, that is...;)


	20. Studying, and Anything But

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee is totally Ryan Murphy's. If it were mine, it would probably be 'The Kurt and Finn Show';)

**A/N:** When we left Finn and Kurt on Friday night, they were facing ADD, broken windows and lots of cramming…as you suspect, nothing good can come out of such a combination…what exactly, you'll see;)

PS. The reviews have fallen for the last chapter – I'm sorry if you didn't like it, I really tried! This makes me nervous about posting this chapter but since I promised I would, here it goes. Hope you'll like it better.

_~~ A special thanks to **B00kw0rm92**, **supermegafoxxyawesomehot**, **abrainiac** and **xbleedinglotusx** - you rock, guys! Thanx for the smile! ~~_

* * *

**Studying, and Anything But**

"These tests are totally…fascist or something," Finn said with a heavy frown.

Kurt gave his stepbrother a quizzical look from his desk.

"They discriminate against the uninformed," Finn went on with his grumble.

"That's the point," Kurt replied wryly and got back to his history reading.

Finn made a face at him. He was uncomfortable on Kurt's small bed and he still had half of the trig material to go through. To his great dismay, they had to move to Kurt's room to study because his own room was thrashed. Like wild-drug-party thrashed. And it was cold. They had tried to cover the broken window with a blanket but it didn't work that well and Kurt refused to further study in the 'stable of Augeas'. Whatever that meant. Finn had no idea what an _augeas_ was or what horses had to do with this but Kurt's withering look told him he'd better not argue. So he didn't, resorting to grumbling over trig instead.

Kurt chanced a sideways look at his stepbrother, who made quite the sight trying to fit onto his obviously too small bed. His legs were dangling at a strange angle and his face was scrunched in deep focus as he tried to manipulate his pair of compasses while lying.

"_What_ are you doing?" he finally asked putting his book down. "You're going to poke your eye out."

"You think I'd be excused from taking the trig test then?" Finn asked darkly, still trying to work the compasses out.

Kurt sighed. They had been over this several times the last couple of hours, with Finn shifting from ADD to dark humour every half an hour and Kurt steeled himself for another attack of self-doubt that should come any moment now.

"This doesn't work!" Finn groaned and threw the compasses onto the worksheet.

Kurt stepped up to him and pored over the sheet, which was covered with circles of all sizes. He raised an eyebrow at Finn.

"Is it supposed to do something besides drawing circles?"

"It's supposed to cheer me up. It's a lift."

"You take comfort in drawing circles."

"It's fun." Finn shrugged. "They're simple and…round. Not like all those stupid angle-y triangles."

Kurt decided to forgo the issue of the pure weirdness of his stepbrother, which wasn't that new after all, and took the half-filled worksheet from him.

"This doesn't make any sense," Finn said despondently.

"Sure it does," Kurt said starting to read the paper. His eyebrows rose as he read it through. "You're right, it doesn't."

"You see, it's senseless!"

"It is," Kurt admitted wryly but seeing Finn was really taking this to heart, he patted him on the shoulder. "But at least you know that," he added in a gentler tone. "Which is good. It means you're learning."

"Yay me," Finn said despondently and folded his hands on his chest. "It doesn't matter anyway. I mean, when in the real world am I ever gonna need history or chemistry or trig or…the English language."

Kurt nodded absent-mindedly, not hearing a word, as he was trying to make sense of Finn's scribbles.

"Ok, I see your problem."

"That I'm a moron?"

"Stop this," Kurt scolded putting his hands on his hips. "You're not stupid, Finn. You've just had a lot on your mind lately. You could learn this easily. But if you're going to give up this easy, then don't waste my time. I drove all the way from Westerville for the weekend to help you with this and I'm not gonna tolerate sloppiness and quitting."

Finn stared at him for a moment.

"That was actually…quite motivating. In a scary way," he smiled at Kurt. "But if you make a remark about my hair next, I'm gonna think your soul's been possessed by Coach Sylvester."

"You know, she does have a point in some matters, Finn," Kurt said airily. "And fyi – your hair? It sucks."

"What's there to suck?" Finn got interested. Any topic was better than trig. "It's _hair_. I wash it, I comb it…"

"-I cut it with a lawn-mower," Kurt added helpfully with a snide smile.

"I cut it with a lawn…hey!" Finn looked at the smaller boy reproachfully but his hand wandered upwards. "Does it really look that bad?" he asked in a small voice.

Kurt stifled a chuckle. "You could use some work on the sides and some hair product other than soap from time to time…but you look ok…very Finn-like."

"That's a good thing, right?" Finn asked mildly suspicious.

This time Kurt didn't stifle the chuckle bubbling in his chest. "Yeah, Finn. You looking like you is generally a good thing. For you."

"Now I'm confused."

Kurt sighed. "Since when do you even _care _how your hair looks?"

"I…I don't! I was just trying to make a diversion."

"You mean digression?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it worked. Now all I want to do is stick your head in the shower and cut your hair."

"I love you, man, but I don't like the idea of you waving scissors near my ears." Finn gulped.

"Finn, I've been cutting my dad's hair since I was ten. Do you see _him_ missing any ears?"

Finn didn't look convinced. "I never looked that close."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Fine. Suit yourself and look like something the cat's brought in the next time you see Rachel."

"Rachel likes…liked my hair just fine!"

"Rachel likes _argyle _too, Finn."

"What's argyle?"

"Not the point," Kurt snapped. "The point is you need a hair-cut."

"I think I'm going back to trig now," Finn said quickly before Kurt actually convinced him. "Or better, I'm going to grab a snack. Want something?"

Kurt decided to give up the subject of the hair-cut. For now. He sighed. "It's the middle of the night, Finn. Anything I eat now will go straight to my hips."

"You could use a couple extra pounds, man. You're scrawny."

"I'm not _scrawny_," Kurt said airily with a sassy toss of his bangs. "I'm _lithe_ and I intend to stay that way."

Finn shrugged. "Whatever. But if you starve yourself to death, I will so tell you 'I told you so!'."

"I doubt I'll be able to hear you anymore then."

"Not the point," Finn shot back with a wide grin and Kurt shook his head. "So, you coming? You know I'm not allowed in the kitchen without supervision."

Kurt got out of his chair and went after Finn with a martyred sigh. It was Carole who set the rule after the last exploding spaghetti incident and Kurt couldn't agree more seeing he was the one who had to help Finn clean the mess up. But Finn's eating patterns were really tiresome and it made Kurt think it would be better to simply put a child lock on the kitchen door.

Down in the kitchen, he watched Finn dive into the pantry and start taking container after container out. Doritos, salsa dip, chocolate cookies and a can of Pepsi were followed by milk from the fridge and microwaveable mac'n'cheese from the freezer. Despite protests, Finn tipped half of the mac dish on another plate for Kurt, who did finally break and dug into it. He stopped half-way through the mac (which was surprisingly good) to watch wide-eyed as his stepbrother as much as put the cookies, chips and mac all together on one plate and devoured it in a matter of minutes.

Done eating, Finn caught Kurt's stare. "What?"

"How can you possibly eat all this in one go?"

Finn shrugged. "I was hungry."

"I can see that. But if you get sick…"

"No worries, I've been eating like this since I was twelve."

Kurt sighed. "That actually explains a lot."

Finn gave him a confused look. Kurt shook his head and put both their plates in the sink. "You ready now? Can we go back to studying?"

Finn groaned. "Not yet. I'm full now and everyone knows you can't study on a full stomach."

"Finn Hudson, if there ever was a procrastinator…"

Finn waved him off. "We need something to burn the food off and I've got just the idea," he said excitedly, his eyes lighting up.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this at all?" Kurt complained as he followed Finn upstairs.

He stood on the landing as Finn bolted up another flight of stairs all the way to the attic. There were some bangs and shuffling to be heard and Kurt was about to go up there and drag Finn out by the ears if need be but just as he put his foot on the first step, his stepbrother reappeared with a triumphant grin on his face.

Kurt blinked. "Please tell me I'm hallucinating and you're not actually carrying a toboggan under your arm."

"Kids in movies always ride down the stairs on these things and it looks like real fun."

"We're not kids." He gave Finn a pointed look. "Well, _I'm_ not. And we're not in a movie. And it's the middle of the night."

Finn's face fell a little. "Do you always have to be such a kill joy?"

"No, only when you're planning on doing something insane or dangerous or both," Kurt replied sarcastically. "Which is pretty much always, so I guess that's a yes after all," he added thoughtfully.

Finn wouldn't be discouraged, though. "I've always wanted to do this but I never had anyone to do this with…or any stairs," he said making puppy-dog eyes. "Just this one time and then I promise we'll go back to studying."

Kurt's eyebrows drew together as he studied Finn and the toboggan. _Oh, what the hell. _They'd already broken a window and thrashed Finn's room tonight and Carole was going to kill them anyway so they might as well go down having fun.

"Ok," he conceded and went up the stairs to Finn. "But I'm riding in the front."

"Sure," Finn said happily and placed the sled on the top of the highest landing. Kurt sat carefully on the thing and Finn sat behind him. It took a while before he managed to squeeze his long legs behind Kurt.

"Ready?" the taller boy asked when he was finally settled.

"As ready as I'm ever gonna beeeeee-," Kurt ended in a muffled wail as Finn pushed them down.

Three flights of stairs, two fallen photos and a broken vase later, they found themselves lying in a heap at the door. When Kurt managed to untangle himself from Finn, he realized he was grinning in the sort of way he never did, his mouth wide, teeth exposed and dimples showing in his cheeks.

"Ouch," Finn grumbled lifting himself up to a sitting position. "You were right. This was a stupid idea," he added massaging his bruised knee and looking at the broken vase.

"Let's do it again," Kurt said and Finn couldn't help but laugh at his brother's new-found enthusiasm.

"What about studying?" Finn asked wryly.

"It can wait."

Finn laughed again. He couldn't agree more.

**XxXxXxX**

"When do you think they went to sleep?" Burt asked in a whisper peering inside Kurt's room.

Carole looked at her sleeping sons. Finn had an arm thrown over Kurt and Kurt was snuggled against the taller boys' chest. It was adorable. Too adorable for words, really.

She looked at her watch. "At three? I think I heard noises when I went to bathroom at night."

"Nice." Burt chuckled. Then his face fell. "Breakfast's going to be a blast today. Last time Kurt slept under five hours and I put the radio on too loud, he dumped his toast on my head."

"Oooh, I wish I'd seen that." Carole giggled. "Finn just walks around half-conscious bumping off of things. He once went into a closet thinking it was the bathroom and locked himself in. I had to call a locksmith to let him out. I thought he'd passed out in there but he was sound asleep. He can sleep anywhere. I swear, sometimes I wonder if he's not narcoleptic."

Burt chuckled. "We sure got ourselves two exceptional boys. In _every_ sense of the word."

Carole smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "We did."

Burt waggled his eyebrows at her. "Get the camera ready. With those two together, breakfast's going to be a prime photo opportunity."

"Doesn't Kurt have a policy about surprise photos?"

"Wear your running shoes," Burt deadpanned.

Carole chuckled and they both took a while longer to watch their sons.

"Is that a _toboggan_ they're sleeping on?" Carole asked.

Burt took a better look. "It is. That can't be comfortable."

"And I thought I put a new vase in the hall yesterday," Carole mused. "What were they _doing_?" She shivered. "Don't you think it's a bit cold in here? I think there's a draught somewhere…"

Burt shrugged but Carole was onto something. She was actually feeling gentle wafts of wind on her face. That's not supposed to happen inside a closed house. She frowned and followed the air movements upstairs. She checked every room and stood dead in her tracks as she opened the door to Finn's room. Or what was left of it.

Adorable or not, sleep time was over.

"Finn! Kurt!" she yelled.

Burt sprinted up and took in the mess and wait…was that window broken? He looked at his wife, who looked like she could tear something apart with her bare hands.

"Honey…"

She moved past him and stood at the top of the stairs. "Hudson, Hummel, get up here! RIGHT. NOW!" she shrieked even louder.

There were sleepy groans to be heard from downstairs.

Burt sighed. _Goodbye, peaceful Saturday morning_. He'd have to call the glazier later but right now he had some serious peace-talks to mediate.

"And I'd better get that camera," he said under his breath with a grin.

* * *

So, I hope you've enjoyed this piece of fluffy fluff and nonsensical nonsense – and please review! Every time you do, Kurt squeals and Finn looks at him funny;)


	21. Quantum of Domesticity

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee would so be the 'Furt and Klaine Show' if I owned it;) Needless to say, I don't.

**A/N: **Look, another random drabble coming your way! Seriously, I have no idea where this came from – blame it on too much cramming and too little sleep;) And my need for some Furt – we still have nine more glee-less days to go:/ Also, watch out - pure fluff!

* * *

**Quantum of ****Domesticity**

"Kurt, if you say one more word about how these new clothes compliment my eyes and complexion, I think I'm going to start crying," Finn huffed stepping over the threshold after his stepbrother. "And then I'll make _you_ cry."

Kurt looked at his shopping-bag-laden brother trying to cover up his growing smirk. Finn could be quite intimidating when he wanted to and right now he looked like he really did. Kurt didn't want to be on the receiving end of that particular fit. If he put his mind to it, Finn could pull off quite the drama queen. Judging by his pout, he was on the verge of one. So Kurt decided to tone down his excitement for the sake of his hair and clothes that would be the first victims of the attack of the flailing Frankenteen.

"Fine," he said. "But you'll thank me when girls start lining at the door when they see you in clothes that for once _don't_ look like they belonged to a blind lumberjack with a fixation on badly cut flannel."

"Hey! I like flannel! What's wrong with it?" Finn said dumping all the bags on the couch in the dining room.

"Nothing. Besides the fact that it's _flannel_," Kurt shot back snidely.

"Kurt, you're making it really hard for me to like you right now," Finn snapped with a pout and lunged himself onto the sofa.

He was hungry, his feet were sore and his mind was numb from Kurt's endless chatter about fashion on the way home. He was glad the shopping expedition to Columbus was finally over. He would curse the day he agreed to it but he also had to admit, Kurt had made a huge impression on him. He knew exactly what he wanted and made the shopping assistants hop around him like he owned the place. And he could be _really _intimidating (although that Finn already knew from experience) – Finn was pretty impressed with the way Kurt had threatened a bunch of middle school girls with a mannequin's leg to get the last pair of Hilfiger jeans in his size. If shopping were an Olympic sport, Kurt would definitely have a black belt or something.

Kurt watched his half-conscious stepbrother and shook his head. Finn was really exhausted, more than he'd ever seen him be on the football field. And they'd only been to five shops, plus two shoe shops and accessories but that didn't really count. Kurt was actually amazed Finn had agreed to a shopping trip with him in the first place until Carole enlightened him that might have something to do with the fact that Finn had shrunk all his jeans on his latest washing-machine adventure and had literally nothing but tracksuit pants to wear now. Kurt wished he'd been home for that.

"You don't have to like me as long as you wear the clothes we bought," he stated. "Unless you want to spend the rest of the school year looking like some hip hop wannabe," he added under his breath.

"Even the strange wooly thing?" Finn whined.

"_Especially _the boat neck angora sweater," Kurt enunciated. "It compliments your athletic built and it's very much in this season."

"But it's…tight," Finn objected uneasily.

"It's _form-fitting_, Finn, and it's supposed to be like that."

"I don't like it," the taller boy groaned and Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's not my thing. I'm a jeans and T-shirt kind of guy!" he complained.

"Yes, yes, I know the wildest thing you've got in your closet is a pair of pink suspenders…"

"I have no idea where they came from!"

"…but you should really work on that. I'm not saying you should wear a new outfit every day-" Finn snorted. "-but you could put a bit more attention to what you wear."

"I just don't see the point, dude. Too much time and effort." Finn shrugged. "And most of that Gucci & Banana stuff you're so excited about totally freaks me out."

Kurt took a deep breath. "You mean _Dolce & Gabbana_. And it's _Gucci_ and _Banana Republic_."

Finn looked at him blankly, eyebrows raised, and Kurt resisted the urge to pull his hair – no need to take his frustration out on the roots.

"Of all the people in the world, how do I get _you_ for a sibling?"

"Blind luck?" Finn asked cheekily.

"You've got half of it right. Whatever it was, it was _definitely_ blind."

"Hey, you're not such a perfect brother yourself, you know! I'm not down with you taking up the bathroom for hours on end and taking my snacks away!" Finn huffed.

Kurt let out a small chuckle and let himself fall on the soft cushions on the sofa next to Finn. "All right, I admit it. I'm sorry I make you eat healthy food and hinder your otherwise non-existent personal hygiene."

"Kurt…" Finn began warningly.

"Ok, ok, I know I boss you around and make you do plenty of things that you don't like."

"Like hell you do. And the worst part is, I've started doing some of them even when you're not here! Do you know I actually ate _muesli_ for breakfast today? The fact that I even know what it's called would get me my eyebrows shaved if the guys on the team knew!"

Kurt chuckled and was about to say something but Finn raised his hand. He was on a roll.

"So I do all those _healthy_ _and clean _things even though they're usually torture…but they remind me of you when you're not here…and now that you've transferred you're not even here to give me credit for it!"

Kurt turned to him with an amazed expression that merged into a warm smile.

"Let me get this straight," he began trying to hold back the 'aww' building up in his throat. "I remind you of rolled oats and dried fruit? Finn Hudson, that is the most warped attempt at a compliment I've ever heard," he said and Finn's face fell a little. "And the most adorable."

Finn seemed to relax a little. "What I meant to say is that I miss you, even your hissy fits and diva stunts, however crazy that is," he said, his eyes fixed at his hands clasped tightly in his lap. "So much that I eat rabbit food and _don't mind_."

"I miss you too, you big dummy," Kurt said ruffling his hair. "And I'm here now," he added softly. "_And_ I'm giving you plenty of credit. I'm impressed, actually. But don't tell me you didn't enjoy the shopping at all. I totally saw you do tough guy poses in the mirror when you were trying on new jackets."

"I was just trying to see which one made me the most badass!"

Kurt shook his head. "Boys."

Finn tried to reply but his words got out muffled. He looked totally thrashed and his eye-lids were drooping.

"Maybe you should get to bed before you fall asleep on me," Kurt advised. "Cause I don't fancy hauling you from here to your room by myself and if you stay here, you're going to wake up with a gigantic crick in your neck that I will have to care of."

Finn rubbed at his eyes. "I'm so tired I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

Kurt got up. "I'll get you some left-over egg-nog." It was his secret, but he liked it so much that he kept a vat of it in the pantry the whole year, Christmas or not.

"It will help me sleep?"

"No. But it makes staying awake a hell lot more fun."

After a moment Kurt returned with two mugs to find Finn going through their DVD collection. He handed one mug to him and he downed half of it in one gulp. Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"This stuff goes to your head, Finn."

"Exactly," the taller boy replied unfazed. "So… how about a movie marathon?" he suggested. Their parents were out on a dinner and wouldn't be back till much later so that left the whole house at their disposal. "Cause I'm definitely not killing zombies with you anymore. Like ever again."

"You mean after I kicked your ass the last time, oh Scourge of the Undead?"

Finn scowled at him. "It still hurts. And if you mention it to Puck or Artie…"

Kurt chuckled. "No worries. I would never admit publicly I know how to blow up zombies in the first place."

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it," Finn said.

"Far more than is healthy," Kurt admitted with a wry smile.

"I guess we're both closet cases," Finn said and Kurt's eyebrows shot up. This was going to be good. "You're in a zombie-killing closet and I'm in a jacket-shopping one."

Kurt just stared at him and then he burst out laughing, not able to contain himself any longer. "That egg-nog's working faster than I thought," he managed in between giggles.

"You know what I mean," Finn said slightly offended.

"Seldom if ever," Kurt replied wryly.

Finn grumbled something that sounded strangely like 'bigheaded smartass' and turned back to the DVD shelf.

Kurt went up to him and patted him on the shoulder in a conciliatory gesture. He scanned the DVDs Finn had picked out.

"X-Men? No way. I'm not watching men in garish spandex suits and capes run around shooting other men in spandex suits and capes."

"Their outfits is so not the point. Besides, they only wear spandex in the comic books!"

"Anything that is as much as _based_ on a comic book with people wearing canary yellow rubber outfits is dead for me."

"Hey, it's my turn to choose! And I say it's that or James Bond."

"Oh no, Sean Connery again?"

"Yup."

"Daniel Craig and only Daniel Craig for me, sorry."

"Seriously?" Finn objected. "I mean, 'Quantum of Solace'? What does that even _mean_?"

"I honestly don't know but that's not the point. Daniel Craig is. And eventually Pierce Brosnan."

"Come on! Connery was totally badass as the original Bond! I mean, hey, he's _Indiana Jones' dad_!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Ok, I agree Sean Connery does have that scary edge of lethal ruthlessness about him but Daniel Craig is so much more…manly in a roguish way."

"I have no idea what you just said but I'll take it that you agree with me."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "We're not watching _Dr. No_."

Finn's face fell. "Come on, that chick coming out of the sea is so hot!"

"That doesn't explain why you had to rewind that scene like ten times the last time we watched it."

"It totally does!" he exclaimed. "Don't think I don't remember you did the same when Daniel Craig was coming out of the water in _Casino Royale_!"

Finn sniggered watching as Kurt somehow managed to get pale and beetroot red at the same time.

"That's it. We're watching X-Men."

"Yes!" Finn fist-pumped.

"Let me just get the vat of egg-nog first. I have to put myself out."

* * *

So, hope you liked this! As I said, completely random but that's the idea, right? Also, the updates are kinda slow these days and they will continue to be so for the next two weeks until my exam session is over. I hope that's ok and thank you for your patience and support!

The credit for 'Gucci & Banana' goes to the one and only **Chris Colfer**. I was watching some of his older interviews and he so cracked me up with this: _"I thought 'Gucci & Banana' was a designer brand...but it's not. It's like Dolce & Gabbana and then Gucci and Banana Republic. I guess they're all different. I just go to Target, you know."_ So adorably Chris! Kurt would definitely hyperventilate, though;)

Also, raise your hand if you squealed (I think I also died) when **Chris won the Golden Globe **– he so deserved it! I'm SO happy for him! **Go team Chris!**

End of loooong A/Ns. Have a great Sunday and don't forget to leave me a review before you go:)


	22. Brotherly Bonding and Possums

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Kurt, Finn and Glee belong to Ryan 'Fairy Godfather' Murphy. I'm just a fangirl who can't resist playing with his wonderful creations:-)

**A/N: **Hey, guys:) I won't be able to post a new chapter on Sunday so I sucked it up and wrote this one faster for you. Also, this great prompt/challenge I got wouldn't let me study until I wrote it down anyways…so here goes, enjoy! I think this is the craziest piece yet! And on this intriguing note I leave you to it…

_A big thanks to __**ChuckNorrisLeftFist **__for the idea and brainstorming! _

* * *

**Brotherly Bonding And Possums**

"Tell me again, what_ the hell_ are we doing here?"

"I told you a hundred times, Kurt…"

"You told me _once_ and it was with a toothbrush in your mouth as you shut the bathroom door in my face."

"Of course I shut the door!" Finn exclaimed reproachfully. "I had to fight my way in there and I wasn't going to give it up easy!"

Kurt pouted, not really apologetic. "You're aware my morning moisturizing routine takes an hour-"

"Painfully," Finn cut in.

Kurt shot him a sideways look. "-_and_ it's essential for my well-being. Deal with it."

"Jeez, if I'd known you'd be this bitchy about it…"

"It's my _skin_. Of course I'm bitchy about it!" Kurt huffed with annoyance. "And what is _it_, exactly? I thought we were just going to get some stuff for your science project."

"Well, we are."

"Finn Hudson, that better be a Nobel-prize-winning project because nothing short justifies kidnapping me into the middle of some godforsaken frigging _forest_!" Kurt put on a vicious scowl. "What could possibly be in _here_ that you need? And what possessed you to break my time-honoured, _sacred _routine and drag me out of the house at this ungodly hour on Saturday for it? Are you suicidal?"

Finn stayed silent through the rant and gave Kurt his best blank look. The best strategy was to play dumb and change the topic. "No. Are _you_?"

"No. But I'm feeling more and more _homicidal_ with every passing second," Kurt said pointedly.

Finn sighed. "I have to get some cones and needles and stuff."

Kurt closed his eyes and counted to ten silently.

"Again, _what_ are we doing in the _woods _then? You could get cones from the spruce that grows in our backyard."

"Oh. I didn't know we had trees in the backyard," Finn said not looking Kurt in the eye.

"And I'm falling for that because of the surprise lobotomy." Kurt crossed his hands on his chest. "You have five seconds before I leave you here to spend a memorable day walking the twenty miles back home."

Finn held out a hand. "Fine," he conceded. "I just thought we could hang out…have some, you know, brotherly bonding?"

"In the _woods_?" Kurt asked incredulously, his eyebrows shooting up.

Finn shoved his hands in his pockets, fumbling for words. "I thought it would be fun to get out of town for a while. Breathe fresh air and be close to nature and stuff…" his voice trailed under the weight of Kurt's withering scowl.

"Have you been reading _The Call of The Wild _again?"

"I finally got to the book!" Finn said excitedly. "It's much better than Cliff Notes!"

Kurt sighed. The one time that he didn't have to force Finn to read a book and help him with the essay, it came back to bite him in the ass anyway.

"It usually is," he muttered. "I'm happy you're discovering the joys of reading actual books," he deadpanned, making a mental note to hide _Moby Dick_ and _Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea_ when they got back. There was no telling what Finn could come up with if those ever got into his hands. "We've breathed fresh air, gotten close to _the nature_-" He brushed off a dry twig from his sleeve, crinkling his nose in disgust. "-and now can we go back home where 'brotherly bonding' doesn't include sap in my hair?"

"You're wearing a beanie! How could you even _get_ sap in your hair?"

"Figure of speech, Finn," Kurt said but the barb in his voice was gone.

He had thought his transfer to Westerville was hard on him but as he looked at his family, at _Finn_, he saw they took it just as hard. It was nice to know he was missed and it made him have all those warm, fuzzy feelings inside but it was also sad to watch. And while their parents had consolation in the fact that they themselves made it happen and they did it for his safety, Finn didn't and Kurt understood he felt hurt and left out. Just when they had finally managed to get over last year and were on the path to becoming really close, things had to become complicated again.

"Finn, I…" Kurt began, feeling he was on the verge of some sappy, possibly very cheesy confession but stopped short.

Finn had vanished.

Kurt looked around the small clearing. He must have been _really_ deep in thought if he didn't notice _Finn_ disappear. It wasn't exactly easy to miss a lanky, 6'3" football player.

"Um…Finn?" it came out a bit more squeakily than he intended but hey, suddenly he was all alone in a big, dark forest. "Finn?" he called again but nothing but a distant echo replied. He huffed, a feeling of slight apprehension creeping over him.

"Finn, I swear, if this is another one of your stupid pranks…" he said through gritted teeth.

Suddenly there was a rustle to his left. Kurt whirred around, his heartbeat sky-rocketing. He almost chuckled in relief seeing the intruder – a finch was happily hopping from branch to branch, oblivious of the heart attack it had almost caused the boy watching it. Kurt shook his head in a self-deprecatory manner and put his hands on his hips.

"Finn Hudson, where the hell…" he started angrily.

"Kurt, come on, you gotta see this!" came Finn's voice from a distance.

He followed his stepbrother's voice, murder in his eyes. His face softened, though, as he saw Finn crouched over a nest of some kind with a fascinated look on his face. There were squeals and grunts to be heard and Kurt came up to the taller boy warily, his anger temporarily forgotten.

"What is it?"

"Shh, you'll spook them!"

"_Them?_" Kurt asked with mild alarm. "What's _in there_, Finn? Please don't tell me it's bear cubs."

"There are no bears in Lima, even I know that!"

Kurt shot him a sideways glance as he crouched next to him.

"Baby opossums," Finn said, proud to know what they were, indicating the three furry critters cuddled together in a half-rotten tree trunk. "Aren't they cool?"

Kurt looked at the grayish creatures with their beady eyes, weird noses and bald tails and crinkled his nose.

"I honestly can't see how," he said straightening up. "They look like rats, Finn. Very ugly rats."

Finn shot him a reproachful look. "Oh, come on! They're sweet. And what's wrong with rats?"

"Apart from the fact that they're rats?"

Finn rolled his eyes knowing that trying to argue with Kurt was like arguing with a wall. Only a wall was more flexible. He went back to watching the opossums.

"They're supposed to be able to do this trick," he said, his eyes lighting up. "They can hang from things by their tails."

"Fantastic. Mind blowing. Now can we go?"

Finn wasn't listening to him, though, and reached his hand into the nest.

"Finn, don't touch the wild animal…!" Kurt began but it was too late as the other boy was already holding one pup cradled in his big palms. "…it might carry something or bite you," he finished with a resigned sigh.

Finn smiled at the little marsupial and scratched it behind the ear. The animal purred and clung to the boy's hand. After a while it started moving tentatively up the inside of his forearm. Suddenly it disappeared under it and then it was hanging upside down from Finn's wrist.

Finn laughed out in surprise and Kurt came up closer, his jaw dropping a little.

"Ok, I'll give you that. This is cool," he said looking from the possum to Finn with wide eyes. He knew the look of enthusiasm and surprise on his brother's face was probably reflected on his own.

"I told you!" Finn grinned with satisfaction. "You wanna try it?"

"I really don't think…" Kurt started backing away but Finn was already shoving the opossum into his gloved hands. Kurt had no choice but to grab the animal. He held it awkwardly at arm's length, trying not to drop it. The boy and the opossum looked at each other and it was hard to say which one was more terrified. Finn sniggered. Then the possum started squealing.

"I don't think it likes me very much, Finn," Kurt said warily. "And up close, it's even uglier…" he said squinting at the furry ball in his hands.

"Um…Kurt?" came Finn's voice from the side.

"Yeah?" Kurt asked, still balancing the fidgety opossum in his grip.

"Dude…you might wanna turn around."

"What? Why?" Kurt asked confused but did turn around. He blanched. "Oh dear Givenchy."

"That's what I was going to say," Finn replied then furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, maybe not. But…"

"Finn, just…don't move," Kurt said trying to sound calm to not provoke the adult opossum perched on a fallen tree stump and watching them intently. He slowly put the little one back into its nest. "Maybe…it will just go away."

Finn cracked a lopsided smile seeing the look of genuine horror on Kurt's face. "It's just an overgrown rat, buddy, you said so yourself. It eats berries and stuff," he said coming closer. "It's completely harmless."

Kurt gritted his teeth. "Finn, do you see its bared, sharp teeth and its extended claws? Does it seem _harmless _to you?"

"Oh, come on, don't be such a wimp. It's cute," Finn said and came up within a couple of feet of the mama opossum. "You're not so scary, are you, little buddy? Kurt's just a big chicken…"

Kurt waited on baited breath for the opossum to go for the throat and wondered how he would drag Finn's lifeless body back to the car after the opossum was done with him. But the animal just stared at Finn and remained still. When it did nothing for a while longer, Kurt relaxed.

"You're a real cutie, aren't you?" Finn continued cooing to the animal.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Don't…talk to the opossum."

"Why? Will it do something to me?"

"No. It's just…tacky."

Finn waved his hand dismissively at him. At that moment the animal suddenly hissed and launched itself at him, missing by inches and landing in a snow bank.

"Kurt, run!" Finn screamed in a panicky voice as the opossum shook the snow off and turned towards them with a furious glint in its eyes.

Kurt didn't need to be told twice. They were soon sprinting like crazy, the mad opossum on their tail.

"If I die, I'm killing you!" Kurt managed in between gasps.

Finn took him over. "The tree, run for the tree!"

"Which _one_? We're in a _forest_, you dimwit!"

"This one!" Finn yelled and launched himself at a slightly lopsided pine, climbing up with unexpected agility.

"Finn, what are you…" he panted as he got to the tree. He looked up. "I can't climb a tree in these pants!" he said slightly panicky. It was a miracle he was able to run at all in his skintight jeans.

"Come on, give me your hand!"

With a self-deprecating shake of his head, the ridiculousness of the situation not lost on him, Kurt did. And missed. Then there was stomping behind him. He turned around and there it was. The beast. Panting and obviously very angry. It started to slowly make its way to him.

"Easy," Kurt said slowly putting his outstretched hands before him, his eyes never leaving the animal's. "Easy, boy." He crouched so that he was almost on eye level with the opossum. It slowed its advance on him but still had its teeth bared.

"We're just here _because a certain hare-brained oaf thought it would be cool to parade around the forest teasing wild animals_," he said in a poisonously sweet voice.

The opossum didn't seem convinced. It tipped its head to the side, watching Kurt intently.

"We mean no harm."

The opossum hid its teeth and sat down, its murderous rage obviously subsiding.

"Like hell we don't!" came Finn's voice from above and there was a loud crashing noise as he came flying through the air in a huge heap, taking all the snow from the tree and the branch he was perched on with him.

The opossum squeaked in fear and ran away. Finn shook the snow and tree parts off, scrambled to his feet and looked around frantically, fists clenched.

"Come here, you beast! I won't let you hurt my brother!"

"Um, Finn?"

"Where is it? Where's that blood-sucking…"

"Finn."

"Just a minute, buddy. I'm on a killing spree here."

"Finn!"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"It's _gone_."

"Oh," Finn uttered in a small voice.

"I think you scared it to death, though, Rambo."

Finn brightened visibly. "Yeah, I taught him a lesson all right!"

"You'll definitely become an urban legend among opossums," Kurt quipped wryly.

"Hey, don't make fun of me!" Finn said in a hurt tone. "I totally saved your life!"

"Yes, you're a real hero." Kurt rolled his eyes. "Your _completely intentional_ head dive from the tree was really impressive."

"You are so ungrateful, you know that! Next time I'll just stay on the tree and watch you get eaten!" Finn said with a pout. "And for the record, next time you should wear pants that actually allow you to lift your legs. It's survival 101! And maybe next time we should take a baseball bat with us, just in case, and maybe…"

"Finn," Kurt cut him off.

"Yeah?"

"_Next time?_" he asked icily.

"Sure. This was fun!"

"We will have to work on your definition of fun or I fear you won't survive till your eighteenth birthday. And neither will I."

Finn grinned that lopsided grin and Kurt knew he would always be this way, sixteen, eighteen or forty, however hard they worked on it.

"Now can you please get your cones and…whatever so that we can go home?"

"Oh. Yeah, right. That," Finn said despondently, his face clearly showing he was disappointed.

Kurt sighed. _I'm too old for this_. But he loved his brother and sweet Gaga, he really missed spending time with him. "And later maybe the two of us can go bowling to have that brotherly bonding you're so keen on."

Finn grinned at him. Then he frowned. "I thought you hated bowling," he said with mild suspicion.

"I do."

Finn's grin widened. "You're a really cool brother, Kurt."

Kurt knew the fuzziness of his own smile at the moment equaled Finn's but he really didn't care. "I know. So are you, dummy."

* * *

**Disclaimer:** No opossums or other creatures were harmed during the writing of this chapter.

**A/N:** My knowledge of opossums is purely theoretical so sorry if I got anything wrong! From what I know, though, when scared or in danger, opossums actually pretend they're dead (hence the phrase 'play possum') but if they're really pi$$ed, they can get…well, you saw how they can get;) Really scary. So no petting of wild animals in the woods, kids, however cuddly they look! End of biology lesson;)

And now I'm going to cram like there's no tomorrow and hey, give a girl a pick-me-up – please review!

Have a great weekend, everyone!


	23. 2x11: Even a Titan Needs His Brother

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Ryan Murphy owns it all. For now;)

**A/N: **Hey guys and sorry for the lateness of this update but I got sick...still am, in fact, but I didn't want to keep you on hold any longer, especially since we didn't get any Furt in the S-Bowl episode (aside from the adorable milk-bringing snippet;) and I doubt we'll get any in today's eppy, either. So, I decided to give the football game a bit of a Furt spin. It's a bit more angsty than usual – I blame the weather and my flu. I'm not entirely happy with it but I really hope you'll enjoy this!f

**A/N2: **Also in this chapter: Blaine cameo + spoilers for 'Sue Sylvester's Shuffle' ;]

* * *

**Even a Titan Needs His Brother **

The noise was...well, _noisy_.

Kurt knew the stadium was supposed to be raucously loud, that was part of the experience, but it was hard to appreciate the cheerful atmosphere when his eardrums were about to explode. It reminded him why he didn't like going to sports events. That, and the hideousness of stirrup pants. And the food. Dear Gaga, the food. The greasy cheeseburgers and bagged nachos coated in questionable cheese made him want to go all Erin Brokovich on the stand owners and their contribution to heart disease and obesity in the country. Still, everyone around him, most of all his own family, seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. Kurt sighed.

He looked at his dad who was doing so much better these days, smiling happily and showing something to Carole. Kurt had to grin at the jacket she wore, which happened to match his own. He got to play Clinton Kelly with her again and now she was sporting a sexy-yet-not-over-the-top outfit.

Finally he looked over at the person to his right, who instantly made the butterflies in his stomach come to life. Blaine was seating close to him, his eyes glowing and a big smile on his face. Kurt couldn't help but fall for him just a bit more with every minute. His dad had been wary to say the least but the older Warbler's wit and charm did the trick, and once Burt found out Blaine liked football and they got into talking about it, Kurt knew it was going to be ok. Still, he preferred the two of them seating as far apart from each other as possible. At least until he made sure he hid all of his dad's shotgun bullets.

When he finally tore his eyes away from Blaine, he looked at the field, memories of what it was like to be down there as a player flooding him instantly. The whole team was already there with Coach Beiste, warming up and speaking in huddled groups. Wait, not the whole team. He noticed two players were missing and frowned. Then Puck emerged onto the field with a grim expression and headed for the coach. After a heated debate with lots of flailing and raised voices, they both disappeared in the depths of the stadium. Kurt waited for their return on baited breath, a feeling of uneasiness settling at the pit of his stomach. Finn still wasn't there. The two came back after a few minutes and neither of them looked happy. The coach made for the referee and Puck went over to Artie. Then Kurt got a text. As he read it, his frown deepened.

"What's wrong?" came Blaine's voice near his ear.

Kurt blushed involuntarily and turned to him to meet those green eyes staring at him with concern. _Focus_,_ Hummel._

"It appears the fate of the McKinley High Titans once again rests on my shoulders," he said with a dramatic sigh and stood up. Burt and Carole looked at him questioningly.

"Once again?" Blaine asked in confusion.

"I used to be on the football team." Kurt shrugged.

Blaine stared at him. He was lost at the word 'football'.

"I was the kicker and won the first and only game of the last season for the Titans," Kurt explained, one corner of his mouth going up.

"That was one hell of a kick, kiddo," came Burt's proud voice from the side. Kurt smiled wider and Carole kissed him on the cheek.

Blaine was still lost at the word 'football'.

"Blaine? You in there?" Kurt asked looking at him curiously.

"But you're so l-" he began but let his voice trail under Kurt's scowl.

"You sure you want to finish that sentence?"

"-lithe," the other boy said with a mischievous smile. "Seriously, Kurt, how did that happen? You're _little_. Did you have a death wish or something?"

Kurt threw a sideways look at his dad, who was thankfully busy with explaining something to Carole. "It was complicated. As for my height – you don't get a say considering you're _shorter than me_."

"By less than an inch."

"Oh it's so two inches and you know it," Kurt said haughtily.

"Only when you do your bangs up in that incredibly s-" Blaine stopped himself before the word _sexy_ went through his mouth. Boy, with Kurt around, he was having troubles with brain-tongue coordination. "-spikey way," he finished and Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"_Spikey_? Is that even a word?" he asked snarkily though in truth he was biting back a shrill _You notice the different ways I style my hair?_

"Oh, shut up, Hummel." Blaine chuckled. "Weren't you supposed to be going on some secret world-saving mission?"

_Dammit, _Kurt scolded himself inwardly. Blaine's distracting powers were way too big. He turned to his dad and Carole.

"I've got to go for a while," he said. "I'll be right back."

"Everything fine?" Burt asked.

"Yeah. Boy's room visit," he said evasively. Burt nodded though he didn't seem convinced. Kurt looked back to Blaine.

"Will you be ok?" he asked him giving his dad a sideways look.

"We're in a public place with thousands of witnesses," Blaine said in a conspiratorial whisper leaning in closer. "I don't think your dad will try to kill me here."

"You don't know him," Kurt said.

Blaine smiled smugly. "I think I can ingratiate myself with him with my wit and charm."

Kurt looked at him skeptically. "If you so much as use a word like 'ingratiate', he'll ban you from the house."

"And I run pretty fast," Blaine added.

"That's more reassuring," Kurt quipped. "So when he starts talking about his fish-gutting knife collection, don't hesitate. Use the legs," Kurt said and Blaine chuckled again.

Kurt made his way down the aisle, noticing with the corner of his eye his dad move over to Blaine. He hoped what he heard his dad say was 'sheep run' not 'shotgun'. He hoped Carole would stop any bloodshed. With a sigh, he went down towards the player section under the stadium. He remembered the way around the huge place surprisingly well and was soon entering his place of destination.

Technically, he hadn't lied to his dad. It was a _boy's room_. _Too much so_, Kurt thought pushing his way into the locker room and wrinkling his nose instantly.

Rows of grayish lockers. A horrible choking stench that was somehow equal parts Gatorade, imitation eucalyptus, and body odor. Undergarments, socks and towels in various state of filth. A dirty jockstrap on the floor. Oh dear Versace.

He almost turned on his heel there and then but he noticed the lone figure sitting on one of the benches. With new-found determination, he stepped inside, wondering if he could maybe do this on one breath and with his eyes closed.

"I forgot just how awful this place smells," he said conversationally coming up to his brother, who had his head hidden in his hands and appeared to be nodding off.

On hearing Kurt's voice, though, Finn's head shot up. There was clear surprise on his face.

"Kurt? What are you doing here?"

"I got a very interesting text from Noah," he said taking out his phone. "_Code red. Finn needs an ass-kicking or we're dead_," he finished reading and looked at Finn with a raised eyebrow. "Want to tell me what this is about?"

"It's nothing." Finn looked away.

"Finn, a thought – poker? Not your game."

Finn huffed. "Kurt, this is so not the time. I'm really not in the mood for your sarcasmy irony or whatever so you can just go."

"And in what mood are you exactly?" Kurt asked, irked. "Why are you here and not on the field? And why _am I_ here, apparently required to kick your ass when I should be on the stands cheering for you with our family?"

"Yeah, why are you here?" Finn asked angrily. "You hate football."

"I don't hate football-" he began but the look Finn gave him made him stop. "True, it's not my favorite sport-" he admitted.

"You have a _favorite sport_?" the taller boy asked incredulously, his anger forgotten for now.

"Does competitive shopping count?" Kurt shot back.

Finn let out a scoff. Kurt pouted. It wasn't much but it was a start.

"I'm not here for the football, Finn," Kurt continued in a softer tone.

"Oh, yeah, your date with Blaine."

Kurt resisted the urge to start pulling his hair and counted to ten instead. Sometimes talking to Finn was like talking to a lump of rock. Only you could carry a more two-sided conversation with a rock.

"No, Finn," he said. "I'm here because my brother is the captain of the team and this game is really important to him."

"Well, that's not putting even more additional pressure on me _at all_!" Finn exploded. "Thanks a lot!"

Kurt didn't see _that_ coming. Finn was glowering at him, and combined with his impressively tall body clad in the huge football uniform, he looked kinda intimidating. Still, at least he was finally talking to Kurt. The countertenor put his hands on his hips, standing his ground and not letting himself backpedal. If there was one thing Finn and Blaine had taught him, it was to face problems and obstacles head-on. Even if it meant you got your head broken from time to time.

"Let's overreact, shall we?" he said, the set expression on his face matching Finn's.

The taller boy threw his hands in the air and plopped back down on the bench. Kurt sighed, bit back all the sarcastic remarks from the tip of his tongue, and sat daintily next to him.

"What's going on, Finn? What's this freak-out about?"

Finn sighed. "This is the championship game. The opposing team is much better and half of our team quit. Isn't that enough?"

"Not for you it isn't."

Finn took in the conviction and faith on his stepbrother's face with a shake of his head. It was nice to know Kurt thought so highly of him but it didn't change things. "If we don't win, Sam takes my place as the quarterback. And I'll let him."

"How's that?"

Finn avoided his brother's piercing gaze. "I've been kinda…off my game lately."

"How much off?"

"Off off," Finn said evasively not wanting to tell the smaller boy how many times he'd lost his nerve when Karofsky taunted him about Kurt, and consequently made him make a mistake on the field. "I've done so many laps that I don't remember what it feels like _not _to have cramps in my legs. The Coach says my head's not in the game."

"Finn, the field's been the one place you could always stay focused and cool," Kurt said with a thoughtful frown. "And you get sneaky smart on the game, I don't know how you do it but it's impressive."

"Smart? Me?"

Kurt had to chuckle at Finn's genuine surprise. "Yes, you. You're a pretty good player and I have a feeling you've got a really good shot at winning today."

"Yeah, sure. If by win you mean lose."

"Come on, Finn!" Kurt said exasperated. "It's my job to be pessimistic and snarky. You're the clueless, happy-go-lucky one. What's wrong? What aren't you telling me?"

"Well, maybe I got tired of my...happy-go-luckiness!"

"Finn…"

"I'm trying to be strong for everyone and keep everything together even though it's falling apart and it's crazy!" he burst, then composed himself and continued in a calmer manner. "I'm not complaining here just...don't expect me to be all smiley and cheerful about it, ok?"

"Finn, why haven't you told me any of this before?"

The taller boy averted his gaze to look at his feet. "You're never around."

"I've been to your room _every day_ for the past week with a glass of milk hoping you'll talk to me!"

"Oh." Finn raised his head to look at him with a quizzical expression. "So that what it was for? I thought you were trying to poison me or something."

Kurt let out a scoff. It was a really unattractive habit and he'd have to give it up but right now he couldn't help himself. "Why does everyone have something against warm milk? It's delicious!"

Finn gave him a measured look. "Kurt. It's milk. And it's warm."

"And? It's healthy and tastes really good!"

Finn shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "Just give it up, buddy."

"I still think you don't know what you're missing," Kurt grumbled crossing his hands on his chest. "And about what you said earlier...Finn, you don't have to be strong for everyone. No one's able to do that."

"I am. I have to be. I wasn't strong enough for you and look where that led!"

"Finn, that wasn't your fault."

"We both know that's not entirely true. If I'd manned up like I should have..."

"-you'd have ended up beaten up to a pulp and exploring the insides of a dumpster."

"And that would have been ok because you'd still be around."

"Finn..." Kurt began, brushing his brother's hair off of his forehead affectionately. He frowned seeing a large purplish bruise on his temple. "What happened, Finn?"

"I, um, bumped into a wall?"

"Once more, only try without the question mark."

Finn sighed. "It's nothing." Kurt looked at him, his lips a thin line. "It's nothing," he persisted but Kurt continued with The Stare. "Ok, ok! Stop with the third degree!"

"What was the wall's name?" Kurt asked, feeling rage boil inside him.

"Doesn't matter. It's the usual dumbasses. I guess when they lost their main target-" he looked at his shoes. "-they decided to take it out on his brother."

Kurt felt his hands curl into fists. Later he would find ten red crescents on the insides of his palms. They could bully him, they could drive him away to another school. But no one messed with his brother.

"It's no big deal, Kurt," Finn said soothingly seeing how pale the other boy had become. "Nothing I can't handle."

"So the cowering in the locker room is a part of the plan?"

Finn looked at him uneasily. "I needed my time to get my mind straight and get in the fight mode."

Kurt smiled at him. "And how's that going?"

Finn reciprocated the smile. "Well, I've got this snarky wise-ass, who thinks he's smarter than me, giving me a tongue-lashing..."

"-which is totally true and you deserve it," Kurt cut him off airily, flicking his bangs to the side.

"-and strangely enough, I think it's helping," Finn finished. "You really think we've got a shot at this?" he looked at Kurt hopefully.

"Hey, I'm just here for the scarves." Kurt smiled. "Yes, you do," he added more seriously. "I mean, you've got the girls on the team," he said nudging him in the side.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Finn's lips.

"Rachel does have some fierce tackling skills," he admitted.

"And you haven't seen Tina and Cedes in action." Kurt chuckled. "You sure you want to sit here and miss _that_?"

Finn stared at the wall, the scowl back again.

"They need you, Finn. You've got to _get out there_ and show them what I already know."

"And what's that?"

"That Finn Hudson is a great captain and one hell of a quarterback."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. And to let others know-" He moved away and reached for a small container left on one of the benches. He opened it and dabbed his finger inside. "-you could use some make-up," he said with a mischievous smile raising his finger.

Finn grinned and bent down a little. Kurt swiped his finger over his left cheek and then right.

"There," Kurt said wiping his still black finger with a tissue. "All badass and fight-ready."

Finn looked at him and Kurt suddenly didn't know what to do with his hands or eyes, there was so much gratitude and affection in his stepbrother's brown gaze.

"Do we hug now?" Finn asked simply.

"I think we're too manly," Kurt replied with a smile.

Finn chuckled and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, careful not to wrinkle his designer coat or get the black dye on it, which was no small feat in his outfit. Kurt put his arms around him in return, not caring about his Dolce jacket at all. Finn sighed, feeling the rest of the tension and stress subside as if Kurt's hug had magic powers.

"Thanks," he muttered into his hair.

"No problem," Kurt shrugged as they moved away from each other. "And now I have to go check if Blaine's still alive."

Finn gave him a quizzical look.

"When I left them, my dad was telling him about the shotgun."

"Oh, the shotgun talk. Yeah, you'd better go, dude."

"Good luck. You're going to be great."

"Yeah, thanks."

Kurt was on the threshold when he turned around.

"Oh, and Finn? I wanted to give this to you after you've won the game but I guess you could use it now," he said coming back up to him and taking something out of his messenger bag.

Finn stared at the stuffed opossum in Kurt's hands. Then he laughed.

"For saving my life," Kurt said smiling.

Finn took the toy. He knew his grin was probably even more goofy and fuzzy than usual but he didn't care. He had the coolest brother ever and he wasn't afraid to show it.

"Well, now we're even. You saved me from being skinned alive by Coach Beiste," he grinned. "Um, so I guess I'll have to get you something, too."

Kurt smiled. "No, you don't. Just stay the way you are, Finn."

* * *

**A/N:** Good? Bad? You tell me. Right now I'm just riding on a fever high so please don't shoot if you didn't like it. I tried:)

I know Finn didn't have the war stripes on the championship game but I'm just gonna assume he warmed up so hard they came off;) Or something. Hey, I'm sick, bear with me...so, drop me a line and I might just find enough strength to post another chapter this week:)

Also, if you haven't read it yet and are curious what the opossum's all about, go back a chapter to find out;) [the credit for this goes to **majorbookluver **– thanks, I hope that's what you had in mind!]


	24. 2x12: Mono and Stereo

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Ryan Murphy owns Glee and it's a good thing he does;)

**A/N: **Hey guys! You. Are. Amazing! THANK YOU so much for your wonderful encouragement and reviews, you've really made my day! So as a thank you, I willed myself out of bed and over to the computer and wrote this post-SLS chapter for you b/c for all the adorable Klaine, we didn't get _any _Furt. I hope you'll enjoy this!

**A/N2: **Ok, with all my love for Finn – he was acting like a complete douche in 'Silly Love Songs'…seriously. He's been kinda great in the Super Bowl episode and now he's gone two steps back. It's all making me want to smash him over the head really bad. Kurt, on the other hand, was so grown-up and downright adorable – the way he handled the GAP debacle was impressive and he was so brave and mature when he lay it on the line with Blaine at the end! *swoon*

Anyways, I'm in a Finn-bashing mood and who's better to dish it out to Finn than Kurt? So, here we go;) This starts after the BreadstiX performance. Needless to say, spoilers for SLS.

_Thank you for the prompt, Bexta03!_

* * *

**Mono and Stereo**

Kurt tried to drop the smirk. He really tried.

"You can wipe that snarky expression off your face," Finn groaned from his bed.

Ok, maybe he didn't _really_ try. But he couldn't help it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You catching the kissing disease is in no way smirk-appropriate," he said with a straight face as he came down the stairs to their temporarily shared bedroom. "Besides, how can you even _tell_? You're buried under a ton of pillows."

"It's you. Talking to me. Of course you're wearing The Snark," Finn said pointedly and actually peaked his head from under his blanket to look at him.

Kurt's first instinct was to go over and coo all over him. Mono somehow made Finn look like a ten-year-old. He was deathly pale with dark shadows under his eyes, which seemed much bigger than usual, standing out in his colorless face. His hair was sticking out in every possible direction and he seemed really weak and if possible, small, well small-_er_, in his bed. Kurt held the impulse to mollycoddle back, though, reminding himself how angry he was with the other boy.

"Don't get all pouty and huffy on me, Finn Hudson," he snapped. "You look like a ten-year-old on growth hormones as it is."

"Hey, a little sympathy for a guy dying of mono here?"

Kurt crossed his hands on his chest. "You had it coming. That's what you get for riding the line between douche bag and Dream Boat."

Finn furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "So I'm a…doucheboat?"

Kurt felt the corners of his mouth rise. "Apparently," he replied, amusement fighting with irritation on his face. "That and more," he added taking off his Dalton jacket and hanging it in the closet (he couldn't wait to do that – it got really itchy after several hours and made him miss his Alexander McQueen sweaters even more).

"I'm not a doucheboat! Bag? Douche anything!" Finn fumbled for words, his tone reproachful. "Why would you say that?"

Kurt sighed, sitting daintily on his own bed opposite Finn's and loosening his tie. "A kissing booth, Finn? Really?"

"It was for the Glee Club! I raised 324 dollars!"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "And that sudden bout of 'charity' had completely nothing to do with your creepy oh-so-cunning plan to get Quinn to kiss you?"

"No…I…how did you-?"

"Finn, I have _pajama parties_ with half of the Glee Club. I know everything, down to Sam's yesterday's lunch choice. Cooked veggies and chicken." Kurt nodded approvingly. "You could learn something from him." He raised an eyebrow at him, flicking his bangs to the side. "Besides, I had Lauren bug your phone and backpack," he added casually.

Finn's eyes widened and Kurt snorted.

"I'm kidding, Finn."

"About the bugs or pajama parties?" he asked warily.

"How _high_ is your fever?" Kurt scoffed and stepped over to Finn, putting a hand to his forehead. "Wow, you're really hot."

"I know," the taller boy managed a lop-sided grin and Kurt gave him an eye roll so big that Finn felt sorry for his eye sockets.

"As for that, Mr. _Hotness_-" Kurt put his hands on his hips disapprovingly. "-_what _has gotten into you this week? Setting up a kissing booth to boost your ego? Trying to sneer away someone else's girlfriend? And not just some girlfriend but _Quinn_? After all the last year's drama? What were you thinking, Finn?"

The taller boy dropped his head. "I needed to get it out of my system."

"Get _what _out of your system?"

Finn fidgeted under Kurt's scrutinizing gaze. "She…might have kissed me first. After the game."

"_She _kissed you, too? And the fun just keeps on leaving!" Kurt exclaimed incredulously.

Finn frowned. He hoped for at least a little bit of understanding. Instead, he was getting snubbed and scolded. He turned onto his side, his back to the smaller boy. "Kurt, I'm sick, I'm tired and I'm down. Could you just cut me some slack and leave me alone?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I can't," Kurt stated categorically.

"Kurt. Go. Away." Came Finn's muffled voice.

"No. We need to talk."

Finn groaned, hiding his head under a pillow. "I'm ignoring you."

Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Fine, you ignore and I'll talk. I really don't understand why you of all people would behave like this. You're better than that. And don't you remember how broken and hurt you felt when you were cheated on? Do you want to be that guy? Because right now, you're no different than Puck."

Kurt's words hit a spot and Finn turned back to him rapidly, ignoring the ache in his joints. "So you think I'm hypothetical?"

If Kurt hadn't been so disappointed and angry, he'd have laughed. Right now, he only huffed. "If by hypothetical you mean hypocritical, then yes, Finn, I do. Ever since you won that championship, you've been insufferable. It was a great win and you had a really big share in it but it's hard to appreciate what a good athlete and guy you are because all I want to do is throttle you in your sleep with a pillow."

"I'm just having a difficult time, ok? And the last thing I need is you lecturing me!"

"Finn, I'm not lecturing," Kurt said in a gentler tone. "I'm saying these things because I care about you and I'm concerned."

"Well, don't be!" Finn said in a raised voice and it instantly made his aching throat protest. He started coughing really bad.

"Finn. Finn?" There was alarm in Kurt's voice. "Sit up. It will help," he said helping him up and handing him a glass of water. He put his hand to Finn's forehead again as the other boy drank avidly. "I'll tell Carole to bring you some more Tylenol for the fever and I've got something that will help with your throat. Lie down and I'll be right back."

After an embarrassingly long visit from his mom, who clucked all over him (which he secretly enjoyed), Finn fell down onto the covers, his throat hot and swollen, his joints in agony, and his head throbbing. This being sick thing wasn't fun at all. He felt like crap and it left him with all this time to just lay there and mull over Quinn and Rachel and everything that's been going on, which made him feel even worse. And there was Kurt's nagging voice at the back of his head. It was beginning to occur to Finn that he was right and he'd indeed acted like a double-faced ass and now he was being punished for his sins. Maybe the universe was telling him something just like it was Quinn?

His train of thought was interrupted when Kurt came in again with a glass in his hand.

"Come to lecture me more?" Finn croaked with chagrin.

"You know I'm right," Kurt said in a steely tone coming closer. "And we will get back to the lecture but right now drink this."

"I hope that's ice water in there," Finn said weakly feeling he couldn't stomach anything else.

"Just gargle your throat."

Finn took a sip and spluttered it all out with a disgusted yelp. "What the hell? This is salty!"

"That would be because it's saltwater," Kurt replied levelly, trying to stifle the snigger bubbling in his throat at Finn's reaction.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be able to tell by the being dead," Kurt quipped. "Now gargle. I know your throat hurts like hell and I promise this will help."

Finn looked at him guardedly. "This is your revenge, isn't it?"

"Yes, death by saltwater. How devious of me," Kurt deadpanned. "Now man up and gargle."

Finn finally let himself be convinced. His throat really hurt and he was ready to try anything. He spluttered and coughed and was generally in agony as he did it but he had to admit that half-way through the glass, his throat was already feeling better. He looked at Kurt from the brim of his glass. His stepbrother was elegantly sprawled on his bed, supposedly flicking through a magazine though Finn knew he shot him watchful glances every other moment.

"You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?" he asked noticing the small smirk playing on his brother's lips.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm really enjoying watching you cough your lungs out and get water and mucus all over my Persian rug. It's like Christmas has come early."

Finn shook his head and took another sip. The silence that fell between them was interrupted only by gargling noises.

"So this then?" the taller boy asked after a while indicating the already empty glass.

"I was a sickly child, got throat infections all the time," Kurt explained with a small smile. "My mom always brought me saltwater for the pain and it never failed. Even though she had to practically force feed it to me," he added wryly.

"Gee, I wonder _why_."

Kurt chuckled. "Shut up. It helped, didn't it?"

"Maybe."

"You are impossible, Finn Hudson. Now go to sleep."

"But I don't want to," Finn moaned. "I'm all awake now."

Kurt sighed in exasperation. "Do it for my sake. I've seen your tonsils, wiped your snot and your saliva's all over the room. And you know what? I'm too grossed out to handle anything other than sleep from you now. So _sleep_."

Finn was tempted to stick out his tongue at him but decided against it. Kurt did have a point. He fell into a fitful slumber soon after. It didn't seem long, though, before he woke up with a coughing fit. He was having trouble breathing and there were black circles starting to dance in front of his eyes.

It was dark outside and he heard a stumbling noise followed by a crush and then Kurt was hovering over him, helping him up. He patted him on the back and handed him a glass of water. It got better after a while, and Finn's coughing turned into wheezing. Kurt rubbed his back soothingly and when Finn fell back to the pillows with his eyes closed and breathing back to normal, he made to go but the other boy's hand shot up and stopped him.

"Could you…stay with me for a while?"

"Finn, I _am_ staying with you. I'm in the bed next to you, five feet away."

"But...here? I can scoot over. Please?" Finn implored, giving Kurt the most desperate, pleading puppy-dog look he could muster in his sickly state. Apparently, it was enough – Kurt sighed.

"Fine," he agreed and settled himself on Finn's bed, leaning his back against the bed frame.

Finn grinned with satisfaction, or rather tried because another coughing fit had him gasping for air. When it was over, he shook his head, which was positively pounding.

"My whole life just flashed before my eyes...boy, I've been a jerk!"

Even though Finn couldn't exactly see Kurt's face, he could _feel_ the eye roll. "Finn, it was just a coughing fit. You'll be all right."

"Listen, Kurt-" Finn began.

"You shouldn't be talking."

"I will anyway so you might as well listen," Finn said flatly. "You were right. I am a doucheboat. I got all Tony Stark and not in a cool Iron Man kind of way…I was full of myself and I shouldn't have asked Quinn to two-time Sam…"

"You did _what_?"

Finn squirmed but decided to plough on. Kurt was going to despise him anyway so he might at least come clean and get it all off his chest. "I might have told her to dump Sam for me and if not, date me as well."

"I was beginning to feel sorry for you but now I'm just inclined to think that there is some karmic force of justice in the universe and you're just getting what you deserve," Kurt disparaged.

"I messed up, I know! Quinn hates me, Rachel hates me, Sam and Puck are probably plotting my slow death, you despise me," Finn said gruffly, plunging into another coughing fit.

Kurt's eyes widened at Finn's words. He waited for his coughing to subside. "I can't speak for Quinn, Rachel or Sam's murdering rage but I don't despise you, Finn."

"You…you don't?" the taller boy asked with genuine surprise.

Kurt shook his head. "Of course not, dummy," he said brushing Finn's hair from his sweaty forehead in an affectionate gesture. "True, you were pretty insufferable this week, acted like an ass and did some uncool things-"

"Ok, ok, I get it!"

Kurt looked at him levelly. "-and your ego needed some deflating. As your brother, it's kind of my job to do that."

"Not that you didn't enjoy yourself," Finn huffed.

Kurt's lips twitched in amusement. "That is beside the point. The point is that I could never despise you because I know you're a really good guy, Finn. One that's too impressionable and self-involved sometimes but a _good guy_ and I know you'll make this right."

Finn looked at his hands, clasped tightly in his lap. "I…I will," he mumbled.

Kurt nodded and stood up. "Now drink lots of water and don't fidget because if you wake me up one more time, I'm going to look like a zombie in the morning and I'm going to kill you."

"A zombie? Hey, that would be kinda cool."

Kurt shot him a withering glance.

"I mean…in an uncool way," Finn backpedalled. "I promise I won't wake you up and you'll look like a totally live person in the morning, and uh, great too."

"Ok, enough with the compliments, you'll make me blush."

He moved to his bed and sighed contentedly lying down under the covers.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, Finn?" he groaned.

"Thanks. It's good to know you're there for me and you won't let me choke in my sleep."

"Unless it's me who's doing the choking," Kurt supplanted.

Finn ignored him. "And I'm sorry I couldn't go to your dinner thing at BreadstiX. I'm sure you were really good."

"Of course I was," Kurt said airily. "And now go to sleep before I lose my patience."

When Finn woke up next time, the sun was high in the sky. He opened his eyes to see Kurt sitting at his desk, typing ferociously on his notebook. He rubbed at his eyes.

"Kurt? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at Dalton? It is Friday, right? I didn't like, lose two days of my life or something?"

Kurt chuckled lightly. "No, it is Friday. I skipped school. My dad had to go on a business trip and Carole works two shifts today so I promised to take care of you."

"Oh. You didn't have to…"

The smaller boy gave him a measure look. "Finn, you can't get to the bathroom on your own. Yes, I had to."

Finn smiled at him gratefully. Then his eyes focused on the balloons attached to his bed frame.

"You sure I didn't fall into a coma or something?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows. "Because these definitely weren't here before."

"The girls came by to see how you're doing," Kurt explained following Finn's gaze. "Obviously, you weren't doing well because you started mumbling something about fireworks and lanterns."

Finn frowned. "Why don't I remember any of it?"

"Believe me, it's for the better," Kurt quipped. "The girls brought you balloons and some candy, which they ate because you weren't in a very...eating mood. And when you started to undress yourself saying you had an itch, they cleared out," Kurt continued levelly.

"I did _what_?"

"Relax. You collapsed before anything...revealing happened," Kurt sniggered. "I had no idea how much fun you get on flu medicine. I just wish I had my camera."

Finn sighed and fell back on the pillows. He watched as Kurt stood up balancing a pile of books and papers on his hands. Finn's curiosity grew as Kurt made his way towards him with all of it.

"Not to be outdone..." Kurt said.

"Dude, you didn't have to get me anything-" Finn began as the smaller boy came up to his bed. "Is that _homework_?" he asked incredulously. "You brought me _homework_?"

"Actually, the girls brought it," Kurt said. "And it's my way of saying get better soon."

"You know, a bowl of Doritos says it even better."

Kurt rolled his eyes as he placed the pile next to Finn's bed. "I did all your assignments. All you have to do is sign your name."

Finn blinked at him. "Doritos mean nothing to me," he deadpanned.

"That's good to know considering you won't be getting any any time soon," Kurt said pointedly and went back to his desk.

Finn looked after him, a warm feeling spreading in his chest he was sure had nothing to do with his still spiking fever. "Kurt?"

"Mhm?" the smaller boy replied absent-mindedly, typing away on his phone.

"Just so you know, I really appreciate everything you're doing for me, tongue lashing and all."

Kurt stopped texting. He swiveled on his chair and looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"It's the flu medicine talking again, isn't it?"

"No, it's me and I'm seeing things clearer than I usually do," Finn said decidedly. "The thing is, I've been taking you for granted a lot. And you deserve better because you're awesome and I can honestly say I'm a better person for having you as my brother."

Kurt's eyes had become very wide and strangely lucid and he was blinking a lot. Finn hoped he wasn't making him angry with his off-the-cuff speech, especially since he wasn't finished yet. He had no idea where this was coming from but he knew he had to say it to Kurt before he lost the courage.

"My life's been mono – not only because I actually have _mono_ – but I thought it was fine because I didn't know anything else. And then you came into it and...you've made it stereo, Kurt. You're the coolest brother ever."

Silence followed and Finn started to feel uneasy with Kurt staring at him wordlessly. "Um...Kurt? Now would be a good time to bash me over the head or give me a piece of your mind...or hug me?" he added the last part hopefully.

The next thing Finn knew, he was holding a very much crying and very much grinning Kurt.

"You're getting snot all over me," Finn said wryly hugging the smaller boy tightly.

"Like you care, Snot Monster," came Kurt's muffled reply and Finn chuckled.

Maybe being sick wasn't that bad after all. But only when you had Kurt with you.

* * *

I know, Kurt wasn't that Finn-bashing – damn your puppy dog eyes, Finn Hudson! I just couldn't bring myself to totally thrash him with him being so sick and all...and I really hope this was a one-time thing and Finn will go back to being his better self.

For the record, I never had mono nor do I know anyone who has so all the information is google-based – if I got something wrong, I'm sorry!

I would love to know what you thought, so please leave a review before you go:)


	25. 2x13: Biberizing Mister Finn

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Glee or Kurt or Finn…dammit.

**A/N: **Well, my hopes from last week turned out to be vain b/c Finn was still kind of an ass forf most of the episode…which btw, with all my deep and unconditional love for Glee, was one of the weakest episodes EVER. And it wasn't just the Bieber Fever all the guys had (for the record – I'm not a Bieber basher…ok, maybe a little;)…all the songs were just _meh_ and what was this episode about anyway? The most glaring drawback, though, was of course the complete lack of Kurt. Yes, Sue, I agree – oh, Sweet Porcelain! Without him…something's missing. Very much so. And the dynamics is off. He needs to be back at McKinley STAT!

Ok, I'm done with my ramble now;) Sorry for that, guys but I really had to vent;) To not sound too negative – there were some cool things this week, too, like Britt's one-liners and Puck making those big, wistful eyes at Lauren;) And Mike's abs, obviously;D Don't you just hate it that you love Glee even when you hate it? lolz.

On this note, I bring you some much needed Kurt in this Kurt-less week. In line with the previous two chapters, this one is also episode-related. Sorry it took a while to put this one up but I've had a rough weekend:/ Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this!

Some spoilers for 'Comeback' of course. And a big thank you to **pineappletop92** for the prompt!

* * *

**Biberizing Mister Finn **

Sitting at Kurt's vanity, Finn looked at his reflection in the mirror and frowned. He was tempted to stuck his tongue out at himself but then he heard footsteps on the stairs. He jumped up, trying to get away from Kurt's space but he somehow managed to trip over his own legs and stumbled onto the vanity, knocking over more than a dozen containers.

"Finn? You down there?" came Kurt's voice from the top of the stairs.

_I'm dead_, Finn thought trying frantically to put all the little bottles and jars back in order. "Umm…No!" _Genius, Hudson_.

The footsteps drew closer. Panicked, Finn whirred around trying to cover the vanity with his body. He looked around and remembered he still had the damned comb in his hand. He quickly shoved it into his jeans pocket just as Kurt appeared on the steps.

"Finn, what do you mean 'no'?" Kurt raised a questioning eyebrow at him, taking in his stepbrother's somewhat flustered expression and stiff posture. "What are you-" he stopped short, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "Oh god, tell me this isn't some code for-"

Finn felt his ears start to burn. "No! Of course not!" he spluttered. "I was just using your hair stuff, not…not anything _like that_!" he said indignantly. _Oops._ He really should try this thinking before talking thing one of these days.

"You really do walk into those things, don't you?" Kurt asked, folding his hands on his chest. His embarrassed blush was gone, replaced by livid paleness. "What were you doing with my hair products?" he asked coming closer and skimming over his vanity with narrowed eyes. He turned back to Finn. "And your explanation better have something to do with saving orphans in Uganda," he said in a creepily calm voice.

Finn made a step back. One could say that an MVP quarterback had nothing to fear from a smaller, scrawny boy whose idea of sport was shopping. They had obviously never met Kurt.

Finn had learned the hard way that what his stepbrother didn't have in height and strength, he more than made up in attitude and creativity. And he was pretty damn scary when he was pissed. As he was reminded now.

"Um, I was just trying to…" he mumbled edging his way to the bathroom. The bathroom door had a lock. If he could just…

"Finn Hudson-" Kurt began warningly but Finn was already bolting the door from the inside.

"You will have to come out of there eventually," Kurt said ominously from the other side. "And when you do, I'll be waiting."

Finn gulped. This was not good. He looked around but knew there was no other way out. He sighed and decided that waiting it out was his best option. Well, his _only _option. Soon he began to feel really restless, though, and his eyes wandered around the bathroom. He might as well use his time here to finish what he had started. He caught sight of a purplish hoodie in the laundry basket and fished it out from the container. It had to be Burt's but he tried it on anyway. It kinda fit. Then he grinned remembering he still had the comb in his pocket. He started working on his hair again.

Suddenly the door swung open. Kurt stood on the other side with a half-triumphant, half-evil glare. "I knew I had a spare-" he began and then took in the sight before him. He blinked. "Why are you staring in the mirror wearing a hoodie and _pouting_? And what have you done to your _hair_?"

"It's nothing," Finn said, quickly ruffling his hair back into its normal state of dishevelment.

Kurt put his hands on his hips. "Finn Hudson, the pope is a better liar than you. So stop it right now and tell me the truth. It might just save your life."

Finn huffed. Kurt was going to kill him anyway so he might go down with at least some dignity. Hence, no way was he telling him what this was about.

"Can't we just skip to the throttling part?" he asked.

Kurt's hands dropped from his hips. "Finn, what is wrong with you? You're not even _trying_ to convince me that aliens hypnotized you or you were possessed by the ghost of Michael Jackson?" Kurt sounded almost disappointed. "I'm starting to think that mono's given you some permanent brain damage. Or personality shift."

Finn moved his weight from foot to foot. He knew Kurt wasn't letting this go. He sighed, resigned. "I was trying a new look, ok?"

Kurt's eyebrows rose so high they threatened to mesh with his hairline. "You were _what_?"

Finn fidgeted, avoiding Kurt's gaze. "I just thought I'd try something new. You're always telling me how my hair sucks and everything…"

"True," Kurt concurred with mild suspicion. "But you've always ignored me before. Why this sudden change of heart?"

"Well, all the guys in Glee are trying this new thing and I thought I'd try it, too," Finn said uneasily turning back to the mirror and frowning at himself. "But I'm not very good at this and your hair is always so great so I thought if I used some of your stuff, I could get my hair to look better, too. I only got to the comb, though." His eyes lit up. "Did you know that if you comb your hair from the side, it makes it look different?"

Kurt shook his head. "It's called a parting, Finn."

"See? I know nothing about hair...and you're like the Michael Jordan of hair. If Michael Jordan was short and white and gay..." Finn let his voice trail under Kurt's withering look. "You're just like Michael Jordan," he said quickly.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"So...will you help me?"

"Well, after such a barrage of well-worded compliments, how can I say no?" the countertenor said wryly.

"So that's a yes?"

"Finn Hudson is asking me for a make-over," Kurt said rolling his eyes at Finn's oh-so-expectant stare. A smile was starting to draw the corners of Kurt's lips upwards and he had to compose himself. "Of course it's a yes," he finally said.

Finn grinned. He took a folded print-out from his back pocket and handed it to the other boy. "I want this look."

Kurt's eyes widened. "You've actually done research and chosen a look you want?" he asked incredulously. "Finn, I'm…impressed."

Then he looked at the photo.

"-aaaand I'm back to being annoyed and incredulous." He looked back to his stepbrother. "You're kidding, right?"

"No."

"Finn…this is a photo of Justin Bieber."

"I know. I want his hair."

"You know, the brain damage theory is starting to look more probable with every passing moment."

"Come on, you said you'df help me!"

"Yes. _Help_," Kurt stressed. "This will definitely _not_ help you. It's not a look you could ever rock, Finn. You're going to look creepy and silly."

"It doesn't matter." Finn shrugged. "The guys are doing Bieber this week at Glee and I'm the only one sitting on the sidelines. I don't want to sit on the sidelines, Kurt."

There was a trace of desperation in Finn's plea that made Kurt actually consider this crazy idea. The taller boy looked at him beseechingly.

"Ok. Ok. Fine!" Kurt finally gave in. "Stop with the puppy stare already! I'll do it. I'll biberize you," he said with a resigned eye-roll. "But just so you know, I _will_ take pictures of you. And I will blackmail you with them for the rest of your high school life. No, make that your_ whole _life."

"Hey, it won't be that bad! Bieber has some serious stuff going for him," Finn protested. "Did you know he has like a gazillion views on You Tube?"

"More than Lady Gaga." Kurt sighed. "Which makes me worry about the future of this planet and brings me back to the question of your sanity."

Finn huffed. "It's just a hairstyle!"

"Oh, believe me, it's much more than _just_ a hairstyle," Kurt said ominously and Finn scowled. "Just don't start with the Stare again! I said I'd do it! Now go sit at the vanity before I change my mind."

Half an hour later both boys looked in the mirror at Finn, the same stunned expression on both their faces.

"Thanks, man!" Finn exclaimed. "I look just like him!" He put the hood on and grinned lopsidedly at his reflection.

Kurt just shook his head. It was just as bad as he had suspected.

"Yeah. You look ridiculous."

Finn wasn't fazed. "I know but the girls really dig this Bieber Experience band thing."

Kurt nodded, puzzle pieces suddenly clicking into place in his mind. "Any girl in particular?" he asked pointedly with a raised eyebrow.

Finn averted his gaze, and his Bieber-bangs fell in his eyes. He moved it away in irritation.

"Finn, you really need to stop this and back off," Kurt said. "Quinn is Sam's girlfriend and you're making her a cheat. This is not funny or cool or sexy. It's just wrong."

"It's not like I'm forcing her into anything!"

"Maybe not physically, Finn," Kurt stated categorically. "But you're not exactly playing fair here, either."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Fine." Kurt threw his hands in the air. "Be this way. Go join your Bieber collective and make a fool of yourself."

"Fine. I…I will!" Finn said and stormed off. Well, tried to storm off. It might have looked more impressive if the damned bangs hadn't gotten in his eyes again and made him collide with the door. So much for a grand exit.

His arm still hurt when he came home after school. And it wasn't the only thing hurt. His pride and dignity took a nasty hit, too. Quinn looked at him like he'd gone crazy and the rest of the club was no better. And the damn hair kept getting into his eyes. The upside was, at least Kurt wasn't back from Dalton yet so he would at least be spared The Snark for now. He was wrong, though. As he threw himself onto his bed with the intention of sulking himself to sleep, he frowned feeling something under his head. He took a sheet of paper from the pillow and stared.

It read 'I told you so' in garishly red capital letters.

Finn ground his teeth. He crumpled the paper despondently and threw it in the general direction of the door. It fell at Kurt's feet. The countertenor had just stepped into the room and quirked an eyebrow at Finn.

"I see I was right."

Finn pouted. "I hate it when you're right," he mumbled.

Kurt sighed and put his messenger bag on the floor. He sat daintily on the edge of Finn's bed and stretched his legs out elegantly before him. He was pretty sure he wasn't ready to hear another word about the Glee-love-heptagon-drama but this was really getting to Finn and frankly, if Finn kept up his crazy act, he was going to make Kurt crazy, too. And that meant one thing – murder. Figuring talking before murdering could give better results in the end, he turned to his stepbrother, tucking his legs neatly underneath him.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked.

Finn sat up to face Kurt. "Will there be warm milk?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

"If you want, I can-" Kurt began enthusiastically but let his voice trail seeing Finn was sniggering. He narrowed his eyes at him. "You'll never let this go, will you?"

"Nope," Finn deadpanned.

"Just remember I have those Bieber photos."

As if on cue, Finn's bangs fell to his eyes and he shook his head trying to get the stupid hair out of his eyes.

"This is really annoying! How does this Bieber dude pull this off?" he asked in frustration.

"Patience and years of arduous training?" Kurt said with amusement.

Finn huffed and put a hand through his hair, giving himself the most ruffled look Kurt had ever seen on a human being but at least the bangs was finally gone.

"This was so stupid," Finn admitted after a moment's silence. "I was stupid. And Quinn chose Sam."

"Well, I bet he pulls off the Bieber look better than you."

"I messed up, I get it! You can stop with the mocking already."

"Sorry but it's kinda hard to have a serious conversation when all I can focus on is the animal on your head."

Finn looked at him levelly and put the hood on.

"Thank you." Kurt smiled. "And as for Quinn and Sam and Rachel and Puck – hope I didn't miss anyone there-" he added with an eye roll. "-can't you see how crazy complicated it's all become? And maybe it's too much."

"It did make me go all Bieber so that's definitely a yes," Finn admitted.

Kurt stifled a chuckle and continued. "Mercedes told me that with the way things have been, maybe it's just good to fly solo for a while. Get my act together and my mind straight. I think you could also use a break, Finn. Regionals are coming. You and New Directions need to tone down the drama and step it up because the Warblers won't be pulling any punches."

Finn raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that a challenge?"

Kurt was on the verge of a face-palm. On Finn's forehead. "No, dummy," he enunciated. "It's me looking out for you and the Glee club because I know how much it means to you."

Finn considered his words for a while. He was dumb but he wasn't stupid. He understood all right what his stepbrother was doing. Even though Kurt wanted to win Regionals just as bad, he still had the New Directions' backs because they were his friends and he cared more about them. That's what a great guy he was. Finn felt a wave of affection for the smaller boy spread through his body.

"That's…that's really cool, Kurt," he fumbled for words, once again wishing he had a fraction of his stepbrother's gift of the gab.

"Besides, our win would be too easy if you just up and forfeited the whole game because of love geometry issues," Kurt added haughtily, a smile playing on his lips. "It will be much more rewarding to win fair and square."

"You're so sure of yourself, are you now?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow, inching closer.

"No, I'm just a realist," Kurt shrugged sassily and his hand went up to readjust his bangs in his favorite snobby gesture. It never got there, though, because Finn half-tackled him, hugging him tightly around the waist. Kurt screeched as they both tumbled from the bed.

"NO! Dammit!" Kurt uttered trying to pull away but Finn held him tightly and started ruffling his hair.

"I know you're killing me afterwards but for the record – it's worth it," Finn laughed giving Kurt's hair another ruffle. Then he suddenly stopped and planted a loud kiss on Kurt's cheek.

Kurt froze and stared at him, his murderous rage forgotten for a moment.

"You're the coolest brother ever." Finn grinned. "And we're totally kicking your Warbler asses at Regionals."

Kurt smiled. Now that was more like the Finn he knew. He was finally making a comeback.

* * *

..and then Finn goes to the final Glee rehearsal and says those nice things to Rachel. I'd like to think Kurt had something to do with that change in him;)

Also, I thought that Finn being well…Finn couldn't possibly do his Bieber hair by himself…and who else would help him than our favorite makeover junkie?

Anyways, have a great week as we all wait for the Rachel Berry House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza. Try saying that three times fast:D And don't forget to review before you go;)


	26. 2x14: Two Words: Browser History

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, Glee is whose it's supposed to be. As for Kurt and Finn…nah, so are they. Damn.

**A/N: **Well, there wasn't much bromance to speak of but, hey, it's the first time since Furt that we actually got those two _in the same room_, and they even spoke to each other! Four whole lines! Ryan Murphy must have been in a really good mood to give us so much Furt goodness. Ok, I'll shut my sarcasm-y mouth up now and stop complaining b/c we did get some cute snippets that gave me loads of new ideas;) Still, between the browser blackmailing and late-milk-lady-chats I really need to see the whole Hudmel family interact (where were Finn and Carole on the morning after the party and during the soufflet cooking?)!f

Since my head is practically spinning with ideas after 'Alcohol', I decided to have three interconnected chapters. Seeing we won't be getting any new Glee till the 8th March, I hope you'll like this party-centric angle for the next three chapters. Here we go:)

* * *

**Furt Trainwreck Extravaganza Chronicles**

_Part 1 – Two Words: Browser. History._

"For the love of Lady Gaga's space egg, will you stop the noise!" Kurt exclaimed angrily trying to shout over the drumming coming from the basement.

It stopped but was back again in a minute. Kurt clenched his teeth and massaged his temples but it was no use. Resigned, he threw his pen onto his math worksheet with slightly too much force and the ink splattered all over it.

_Brilliant_, he muttered under his breath, cleaning the mess with a towelette and grounding his teeth. He grabbed his iPhone and speed-dialled. After three rings the drumming stopped.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "If you don't stop that noise right now I will shave your head in your sleep and send photos to Jacob Ben Israel."

"I think you got the wrong number," Finn said aiming for a blank tone but Kurt could practically see the goofy grin.

"I'll show you wrong number when I come down there with scissors!"

"Um, sorry, I'm losing you."

"Finn-" Kurt began but his stepbrother had already hung up. His mouth agape, he stared at the phone with a mixture of shock and incredulity. Finn was impossible. He was freakishly tall and impossible. He was going to kill him.

Ever since Quinn's rejection, Finn had been spending lots of time in the basement, unfortunately most of it drumming. Kurt understood he had to let off steam somehow, and he gave him his space and lots and lots of patience and understanding. He even stopped making him clean his room daily and dumping his Doritos in the trash. Boy, he was such a humanitarian sometimes, it hurt.

He just didn't understand why his brother couldn't take up piano or guitar or the frigging saxophone. No, he had to play the loudest instrument human race had invented and do it when Kurt was studying. It was really starting to grate his cheese. As if to make a point, the drumming began again at an obnoxiously loud level of annoying. That was when Kurt lost it.

With an angry growl, he was out of his room and sprinting down the stairs to the basement.

"Finn Hudson!" He threw the door open and stomped down the stairs, murder in his eyes. "I swear-" he stopped mid-sentence realizing the noise had ceased a moment before and his stepbrother was nowhere to be seen. Then he heard the scurry of feet on the steps and the door closing.

He ran back up the stairs to find the door closed. _Damn_. He just got outsmarted by a goofy dimwit. He banged his fists on the door angrily.

"Dammit, you dunderhead! Open the door!" he shouted lividly.

"No can do, buddy," came Finn's obviously amused voice from the other side.

Kurt growled cattily and continued banging on the door. "You're a dead man, Hudson! Let me out now!"

"Make me," Finn shot back cheekily.

Kurt glowered at the door and then looked around the basement, an evil smile growing on his face. "Oh, I'll make you all right. You know all your precious drums are here with me, right?"

"Kurt," there was a trace of alarm in Finn's voice now. He hadn't thought his plan out as well as he thought he had. "If you do anything to the drums I'll throw all your hair stuff away and give your Gucci&Banana sweaters to homeless people."

"_Dolce&_-" Kurt began to correct him automatically and then blanched. "You wouldn't dare!"

"As long as you don't touch the drums, we're fine."

"We're not _fine_!" Kurt exclaimed. "I want out!"

"No way I'm letting you out now, I don't have a death wish," Finn said. "Cool off first, dude. I'm giving you half an hour. An hour if I forget."

"Oh, I'll cool off," Kurt said through gritted teeth. "When I'm killing you! Goddammit, Finn!"

"Language, Kurt!" came from a distance and Kurt heard footsteps. Finn was walking away.

"Come back here, you brain fart!"

The silence was broken Finn's incredulous voice. "Did you just call me a _brain fart_?"

Kurt pouted. "For lack of a better insult."

"An hour it is then." Finn sniggered. "See ya."

"Finn!" Kurt shouted but there was no reply.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, and went down from the landing to the basement proper. His gaze landed on the damned drums and he suppressed the impulse to kick it. It was a beautiful musical instrument after all and he respected anything to do with music too much. Also, he didn't think his Gucci pullover would look good on Barney the Homeless Dumpster Diver. He never wanted to find out.

Biting his lip, he absent-mindedly touched the ride cymbal in the drum kit and it made a shimmering, sustained sound. With a resigned groan he plopped down on a chair in the corner and considered his options. He didn't have his phone on him, having left it in his room, and neither his dad nor Carole would be back till much later so he was on his own. All the worse for Finn. As his gaze scanned the room, his eyes focused on the desk behind the drums. He stood up and smiled. Finn had left his laptop behind. Kurt sat at the desk, his fingers running over the keyboard. His smile grew wider. _Quite the browser history, Mr. Hudson_, he thought with amusement and sent it over to his mailbox. Oh, this was some juicy ammo to get back at Finn. Now if he could only get out of here.

He eyed the small windows near the ceiling thoughtfully. He should fit in through one of them but it would be tricky seeing they were some eight feet above the ground and really narrow. In the worst case, their parents would find him sticking half-way through it. It wouldn't be pretty but it was that or sitting here helplessly waiting on Finn. Kurt didn't do helpless. He propped a chair against the wall and piled a couple of boxes left from the move onto it. He looked at the shaky pyramid critically and proceeded to climb up. He managed to grab the edge of the window just when the construction toppled and he was left hanging from the sill.

He groaned and lifted himself up, various ways of skinning Finn alive going through his head as he laboriously squeezed himself through the tiny window. Finally he rolled onto the lawn before the house feeling like a stealthy ninja. He snuck into the house through the back door and listened for Finn. He heard him talk over the phone in the living room and moved quietly.

"Trainwreck Extra-what?" Finn was saying into his phone. "Is this some kind of code for something inappropriate? Oh. The Glee party at Rachel's on Saturday. Yeah, she told me about it but I didn't think she'd go through with it…um, ok. Sure."

Kurt's eyebrows knit together as a plan began formulating in his head. He could just kill two birds with one stone. But first, he had some revengeful murdering to do. He waited for Finn to put the phone down and then sprung towards him, latching onto his back.

"What the…" Finn exclaimed. "How did you get here?" he gasped trying to get Kurt off of him. "Can you teleport or fly or something?" he asked, more amused than affected by Kurt's actions. "And what's with the choking? Are you a spider monkey or something?"

"No, I'm just your run-of-the-mill furious brother!"

Finn chuckled trying to pry Kurt's hands off without hurting him. He did get much stronger in the last year what with the Cheerios' labor-camp trainings but he was still no match for Finn.

"I dunno if that's your plan, dude, but all you're doing now is tickling me," he said teasingly.

"Oh yeah?" Kurt let go of Finn's neck. In one fluid movement he hooked his leg around Finn's shin and pulled.

The taller boy lost his balance and fell onto his face with an 'oomph!' as Kurt plopped comfortably onto his back.

"How about now?"

Finn tried to shake him off but Kurt wouldn't let it. He wasn't very heavy but really flexible and getting him off proved impossible. Finally Finn gave it up.

"Ugh, Kurt, ok, you've made your point," he gasped. "You're a ninja. Now can you get off of me?"

Kurt folded his hands on his chest and crossed his legs. Finn was proving to be quite a comfortable cushion. "What's this with a party at Rachel's?"

"How do you even-?" Finn began, forgetting for a moment Kurt was still sitting on him. "Geez, lurk much?"

"I wasn't lurking!" Kurt exclaimed reproachfully jumping up from the other boy's back. "I was standing in the shadows plotting my revenge-"

"You know you sound like a creepy evil scientist or something, right?" Finn quirked an eyebrow at him, slowly getting up to a sitting position.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I want in."

Finn blinked. "What? _Why_?"

"A valid question," Kurt nodded airily. "I realize Rachel and party shouldn't even be put in one sentence but hey, can't I just want to spend some quality time with my friends?"

Finn gave him a skeptical look. Kurt sighed.

"-and have an opportunity to impress Blaine and get him out of his uniform."

"Um, dude, there are several things wrong with that sentence," Finn said uneasily. "First, Blaine's in the Warblers. And b, guy-stripping is not something I'd like to see. Like ever."

Kurt felt a blush creeping up his cheeks. "I didn't mean…why would you…" he sputtered and finally let it go, letting out a groan. "Ambiguity is just lost on you, isn't it?" he asked with exasperation.

"Pretty much." Finn grinned. "Whatever that is."

Kurt shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if I became brothers with one of the Three Stooges."

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk," Finn tried Curly's laugh and Kurt chuckled. Then the taller boy remembered the point he was trying to get through with before Kurt blindsided him. "Kurt, seriously. You can't bring Blaine with you. _He's in the Warblers_! It would be like…like farternizing with the enemy!"

"_Fra_-ternizing, Finn."

"I thought something was off when I said that to Miss Pillsbury and she looked at me funny…" Finn said thoughtfully.

"Your communication disability aside, there's one problem with your reasoning, Finn."

"Oh?"

"It sucks," Kurt said pointedly and folded his hands on his chest. "Who am I, Finn?"

"Is this a trick question?"

Kurt sighed. "I'm a Warbler, too, Finn. Just like Blaine. So theoretically even what you're doing right now talking to me is _fraternizing_."

"That's different! You're my brother! You'll always be one of us and I know you'd never do anything to harm New Directions!"

"But I just might do something to harm you."

"Kurt, I mean it," Finn said seriously. "This is a New Directions party and I'm sure Rachel will make a scene if you bring Blaine."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "This isn't about Rachel. Her I'll handle when we get there. This is about you. Why don't _you_ want Blaine to come?"

Finn tried to think of a way to get out of this one but knew Kurt would just pry it out of him anyway. He sighed. "I…I don't trust him."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know him, ok?" Finn grumbled. "And…he's got too much gel in his hair."

Kurt blinked, not sure if he should start laughing or pulling his hair. "First of all, since when do you _notice_ other boys' hair, and secondly, you know you're being ridiculous, right?"

Finn fidgeted under the weight of Kurt's death glare. "It's just…I haven't given him The Talk yet."

"The Talk?" the smaller boy asked incredulously. "Please don't be suggesting what I'd have to kill you for suggesting."

"Um. Ok. No suggesting. I'll just do it then."

"Like hell you will!" Kurt exclaimed. "I don't need you scaring Blaine off!"

"Then don't bring him to the party!"

"That's it," Kurt huffed. "I wanted to save this for later but you leave me no choice."

"You're not going to shave me, are you?"

"No." Kurt smiled pleasantly. "I'll just tell Carole what you've been up to on the Internet."

"You…I…how-" Finn sputtered. "How do you know I've been up to _anything_?"

"Well, it might have something to do with the fact that you _locked me in the basement with your computer turned on_."

Finn gulped. "And you went through my browser history? Not cool, man! That's like, violating my second amendment rights or something!"

"The right to bear arms?" Kurt asked snidely.

"You know what I'm talking about!"

"Seldom if ever," Kurt shot back, folding his hands on his chest. "Naughtyvegetables . com, Finn? Really?"

"What? I'd never…I had no idea there even is such a site!"

Kurt sniggered. "There isn't. I made it up."

Finn huffed. "You're mean."

"I know." Kurt shrugged gracefully. "But you love me anyway," he added airily, his face breaking out into a cheeky smile.

"You know, right now I love you _so much_ I could throttle you. Literally."

Kurt rolled his eyes, his hand wandering up to his bangs. "So, Blaine and I are coming to the party. And you're driving us. And there will be no Talk."

"Ok. No Talk." Finn grinned. "I'll just answer the door in my Gaga outfit."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "That's fine but if you do, you're wearing it to the party, too."

"You wouldn't…"

"Actually, I would. Two words: Browser. History."

The smile slid off Finn's face and Kurt nodded in satisfaction. "And you need to stop your damned drumming."

"Don't push it, dude," Finn warned. "Remember I know where you keep your sweaters."

Kurt sighed and stood up, his math homework calling him. "Fine. But if I hear any more drumming today, there will be blood. Go kill your stupid zombies or something instead. And it really wouldn't kill you to clean up your room."

"You don't know that!"

"Two words-"

Finn groaned. "I'm not going to hear the end of it now, am I?"

"Nope," Kurt agreed happily.

Finn sighed. Next time he would have to lock Kurt up in the attic.

* * *

I hope this doesn't fall short but I have to say, I had a really hard time coming up with a reason why Kurt would indeed have to _blackmail _Finn into going to the party with him in the first place…it makes little sense to me (however funny it was). I mean, seriously? They're brothers and these are their common friends and Finn wouldn't take him unless blackmailed? Maybe it's just me…anyways, expect part II with a Blaine cameo soon;)

Reviews make the sun come out;D


	27. 2x14: Blaine It on the Alcohol

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee is still not mine (not for lack of trying, though;), neither are Kurt or Finn. Or any of the cast for that matter, dammit.

**A/N: **Guys, you are absolutely, totally and completely amazing! Really, the support I've been getting from you is truly humbling and makes my head spin – you all really rock, just thought you should know that:D

To thank you in a more substantial manner as well, I got my act together and wrote this faster for you. Especially since we don't have a new episode today and I'm kinda used to having me some Glee on Tuesdays…and since Fox didn't deliver, I tried my hand at it…Enjoy:)

Spoilers for 'Alcohol' of course.

* * *

**Furt Trainwreck Extravaganza Chronicles**

_Part 2 – Blaine It On The Alcohol_

"Um, Kurt? Can you help me unglue Santana from Sam?"

Finn scratched the back of his head looking at the couple, vowing never to agree to be the designated driver again. Like ever. Not in a million years. He had already driven home Puck, Tina, Artie, Brittany, Mike and Quinn and it had been a real stretch. Thankfully he had Kurt there to help him. Without him, this would have been a total disaster. Even if it was the sassy, holier-than-thou sort of help, he still really appreciated it. As if to prove the point-

"Do I look like I have a death wish?" came the snippy, yet slightly strained reply from the other side of the room. "Besides, I can't."

Finn whirred around. "What could you possibly-oh," he stopped mid-sentence.

Kurt was squeezed on the couch between Mercedes and Lauren, and he didn't look very happy. Mercedes seemed to be dozing off but Lauren was wide awake and gazing at Kurt with glassy, admiration-filled eyes.

"You have such shiny hair," she slurred, reaching her hand out to touch Kurt's styled bangs. He snapped her hand away and tried to get up but Lauren's arm shot out and forced him back down. He looked at Finn desperately.

"When you're done grinning like an idiot, will you get your ass here and help me?"

"I dunno," Finn said teasingly, a lopsided smile not leaving his face. "You look kinda cozy in there."

"Finn, I swear to-urgh!" he didn't get to finish because Lauren put her arms around him and squeezed.

"You're cuddly, just like a teddy bear!" she exclaimed happily, burying her face in Kurt's shoulder.

"Oh my Gaga," Kurt uttered. "Finn!" he cried in a panicked voice.

Finn stifled a chuckle and decided it was high time to come to the rescue if he didn't want Kurt to end up squished. As funny as it would be to watch, he liked his stepbrother whole and…un-squished.

"Ok, Lauren," he said. "Cuddly bear needs to breathe now," he said trying really hard not to laugh and ignore Kurt's death glare. He tried to pry her hands off but found it impossible. "Um, Lauren, let Kurt go. Please?"

"No, Kurtie bear stays where he is!" the girl growled at him, pushing his hands away. "Go away!"

"Um, Kurtie be-, I mean Kurt," Finn quickly corrected himself, trying to hide his amusement and failing. Kurt scowled. "-you're gonna have to help me here."

"How?" the smaller boy said through clenched teeth.

"Give me your hands."

Kurt did as Finn told him, and the taller boy tugged, managing to get Kurt out of Lauren's embrace, who seemed to be half-asleep by then. Kurt huffed, straightening his clothes and looking at Finn reproachfully.

"Remind me, why did I agree to help you?"

"Because you're a cool brother and you love me?" Finn asked cheekily.

"You're really pushing it, Hudson," Kurt said with a pout when suddenly Finn grabbed him by the arms and pushed him aside.

"What the-" Kurt began, whirring around only to see Lauren on her feet and charging at them.

"Kurtie bear! And you!" She turned her gaze at Finn. "You took Kurtie bear away!"

Finn didn't think twice and was on the run in no time. "The bathroom!" he told Kurt and they both jumped inside and locked themselves in.

"Um, thanks. That was a close call," Kurt muttered. Then he blanched. "Oh my God, Blaine, Cedes and Rachel are there, completely helpless!"

"Don't worry, I think she's only after you, Kurtie bear," Finn said grinning down at his stepbrother.

"You call me that one more time, Finn Hudson, and I swear you'll end up bold and toothless and it won't be because of old age."

Finn sniggered and pressed a finger into Kurt's shoulder. "You are kinda cuddly," he said with amusement, earning himself a death glare.

"One more word out your mouth."

Finn sighed. "How did you find yourself as Lauren's boy toy anyway? I'm sure Puck would really like to know."

Kurt shot him a sideways look. "I was just trying to get her up but Lauren is…well, _Lauren_. She had me in her death grip in a flash and wouldn't let go. She's like an octopus!"

Finn smiled and put his ear to the door. "I think the worst is over," he whispered and began to slowly unlock the door.

They both peered into the Oscar basement and sure enough, Lauren was collapsed on the couch next to Sam and Santana, who looked like they were surgically connected. Blaine was sitting with Mercedes and Rachel, the three of them singing some tune, which was rather difficult to define since each of them seemed to know a different version.

"Ok, we've got to move fast," Finn instructed. "Sam and Santana first."

"And Lauren?" Kurt asked warily.

"We'll figure something out."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Like what?"

"I don't know. That's what we're going to figure out!"

"Whatever. But I'm not going anywhere near her again."

"Jeez, do you have to be so bitchy?"

"Hey, it wasn't you who was squeezed within an inch of your life and worse, called 'Kurtie bear'!"

"Someone needs to sort out their priorities," Finn said with a raised eyebrow.

Kurt just rolled his eyes but decided now wasn't the time to argue about this and helped Finn haul Sam and Santana to the car. Then they helped Rachel and Mercedes, who was staying over, to Rachel's room. They tucked them in and slowly moved out of the room downstairs. They managed to wake Lauren up just enough to convince her that Puck was waiting in the car and she went willingly on her own, with Finn hovering over her just in case. He locked the three of them and made for the final round to get Kurt, who was supposed to bring Blaine to the door. When he came in, though, his stepbrother was nowhere to be seen.

"Kurt?"

"Ugh…here," came from downstairs.

Finn came down to see Kurt struggle to put an obviously unconscious Blaine into a standing position. He wasn't doing much of a job and Finn moved fast because someone was going to get hurt if he didn't intervene.

"Whoa there, buddy," he stopped Kurt. "Are you trying to break his arm or is this some sort of foreplay?"

Finn grinned as Kurt somehow managed to get pale and beetroot red at the same time. "I was trying to get him to sit but he's not being very cooperative."

"That would be because he's asleep."

As if to make a point, Blaine let out a soft snore. Kurt looked at him reproachfully. "He fell asleep on me. I can't believe it."

"If it's any consolation, I don't think it's personal," Finn said wryly and took Blaine under the knees, throwing him over his shoulder effortlessly. "All set to go?" he asked Kurt, who was gaping at him.

"I couldn't even make him sit up and you lift him like he's a feather. Are you on steroids or something?" he finally asked.

"Remember that the next time you're throwing out my Doritos," Finn said pointedly.

Kurt rolled his eyes. Their Doritos feud was a never ending battle but he decided to let it go for now considering Finn did kinda save him from Lauren and was now carrying his friend.

He followed Finn upstairs and watched him deposit Blaine in the shot gun seat and go over to the driver's seat. He noticed the whole back was taken by Sam, Santana and Lauren. With the girls' tempers and history, Kurt wondered if Finn had lost his mind because putting them together in a small, confined space was certainly not a good idea. He half-expected them to go Mortal Combat on each other any moment but sighed in relief hearing they were both snoring. And Sam was sitting between them. Though Kurt doubted he would be an obstacle. Collateral damage more like it. He turned his attention back to the front of the car and looked over at Finn.

"And where am I supposed to sit?" he asked.

"With Blaine," Finn said with a shrug.

Kurt eyed the seat, all taken up by the Warbler tenor, and turned his gaze back at Finn.

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll squeeze your bony butt in there, I'm sure. Or you can sit in Blaine's lap," Finn suggested innocently.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him, trying to cover up the blush once again showing on his cheeks.

"You're really enjoying yourself, aren't you?" he said.

"I'm just giving you your options," Finn shrugged innocently. "The third one is sitting in the back with Sam, Puke-tana and Lauren. The choice is yours, Kurtie bear."

Kurt gave him a vicious look and scrambled into the seat next to Blaine. He had no idea how the other boy did it but soon he found himself with an armful of sleeping Blaine. He tried to avoid Finn's meaningful glances and stared obstinately ahead, focusing on anything but Blaine's soft breath on his skin and his hair tickling his chin. Under normal circumstances, he'd have been on cloud nine having Blaine so close, practically in his lap, and snoring adorably into his chest but right now he still had his more than platonic kiss with Rachel in mind, as well as their duet and the minuscule fact that they'd spent half the evening after that clinging to each other like their lives depended on it. He held his breath as Blaine suddenly shifted and his hand wandered under Kurt's jacket over his chest to stop just above his heart and stay there. Kurt clenched his teeth and started conjugating French verbs.

Several stops later, Finn practically vaulted himself into the car with a triumphant cry.

"Ok, that was the last one," he said with relief. He looked at his stepbrother, who still had Blaine snoring comfortably on his arm. He was really pale and looked almost like he was in pain. "Are you okay, buddy?" he asked, concerned.

"Just drive, Finn."

"To Westerville?"

"I really don't care," came the dry reply.

Finn took a better look at his stepbrother. He knew him well enough to know that he cared all right. Something was wrong. And he had a good idea what.

"It hurt you, didn't it?" he asked softly. "To see Blaine kissing Rachel like he really meant it?"

Kurt turned to him. "Well, thank you for driving that one further in," he snapped.

Finn didn't heed his less than inviting tone and ploughed on. "You know he was drunk, right? As in, he didn't know what he was doing?"

Kurt shot him a sideways glance. "He looked like he knew all right."

"Kurt, you don't _honestly_ think he has feelings for Rachel," Finn said. "The guy's as straight as a circle."

Kurt sighed. "_Honestly_, I don't know what to think anymore. I used to think he liked me – he was all flirty and cute and sang duets with me…but now it's like he's lost his mind a little, and with it all control of what he's doing. Last week it was Jeremiah, this week it's Rachel."

"Maybe he's just searching, Kurt," Finn said. "We're teenagers, we do all kinds of crazy stuff to find out who we are. Not everyone's as confident and sure about themselves as you are. Give him some time."

Kurt stared at him, chewing over his stepbrother's surprisingly insightful words.

"You sure you didn't have any alcohol tonight?"

"What, you think I can't say anything smart without being drunk?" Finn asked reproachfully.

"I didn't say you said anything smart," Kurt quipped, feeling the corners of his mouth turn up even though he really wasn't in the mood.

Finn scowled at him. "And now you're just being mean."

Kurt sighed. "I know. I'm sorry," he said apologetically. Finn was actually making a lot more sense than he'd suspect but it still didn't make him any less angry with Blaine. Who was still clinging to him in a way that left Kurt on the verge of being totally breathless. "So I'm just supposed to sit on the sidelines and wait for my turn?" he finally asked. "That's not me, Finn. I don't know how much more of this soul-searching I can stand."

"Kurt, Blaine seems to be kinda messed up right now and I don't think he'd be good for you like this anyway," Finn continued in a gentle tone. "I know it must be painful to watch him with other people but I think you should let him get his mind straight. And when he does, he'll come running after you, believe me." Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and Finn fumbled for words. "I mean…I'm not going to tell you you're cute because you're a dude and my brother and my friend and that would be just weird…but you totally are," he added with a grin. "If you repeat this to anyone…"

Kurt chuckled. "Don't worry, your badass quarterback rep's safe," he said. "And I guess there is a certain sanguine ingenuity to your logics."

"I resent that!" Finn exclaimed. "Or possibly thank you," he said in a smaller voice and looked at him seriously. "Honestly, dude, he would be crazy not to go after you."

Kurt looked at him, a ghost of a smile creasing his lips upwards. "Thanks, Finn. You're actually kinda good at these lady chats."

"I had a good teacher." Finn reciprocated the smile. "And I don't even need any warm milk. Like _ever again_, Kurt," he added pointedly.

Kurt let out a small chuckle. He was actually starting to feel better. Lighter. More loose. He gave Finn a curious look. "Underneath that goofy, clueless front there's a really smart, sensitive guy, isn't there?"

It was Finn's turn to chuckle. "Nah, it's all goofy and clueless inside, too. I just have my moments." He shrugged and looked at the smaller boy. "Mostly thanks to you, little brother."

Kurt remained eerily quiet and Finn chanced a sideways look at him. He felt a pang of panic seeing there were tears running down the smaller boy's face.

"Kurt, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!" he said in alarm.

"I'm just really moved, Finn," Kurt said wiping at his eyes. "And on the verge of a very cheesy confession so you'd better step on it."

Still not really understanding why Kurt was crying, Finn sighed in relief it wasn't his fault. "So, I was thinking, maybe Blaine could crash at home with us? Seeing that he's unconscious and all and hardly fit to drive anywhere unless it's fairly-tale land."

Kurt snorted. "Ok, take us home, Finn. And hurry because he's getting heavy."

A quarter of an hour later, they were dragging Blaine into the house, trying to be as quiet as possible. It was going surprisingly well until they got to the hall, where they stepped in two opposite directions. Finn looked at Kurt questioningly.

"Um, Kurt? The guest room's this way."

"I can't leave him in the guest room!" the smaller boy hissed. "What do you think my dad will do when he sees him in the morning, all hung-over, and crashing on the couch? Invite him for a game of chess?"

"Ok, you might have a point there," Finn admitted. "So where's he gonna sleep then?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "In my room, where else?"

"Your room?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow. "As in, your bed?"

Kurt felt his cheeks burn but didn't manage to reply because Blaine snapped awake and looked around with slightly glassy eyes.

"Hey, you're really tall!" he announced happily as his eyes focused on Finn. "And you're Kurt's brother!"

Kurt jumped to clasp a hand over his mouth and looked at Finn pointedly.

"You see what I mean?" he hissed. "He can't be left unsupervised!"

"Okay. Fine," Finn conceded but didn't look very happy about the turn of events.

Kurt looked at him impatiently. "Are you going to help me or stand there and watch?"

Finn pouted at him. "I was actually considering the second one. Much more fun."

Kurt rolled his eyes and motioned Blaine towards the stairs. Finn went to Blaine's other side and helped him. He had no idea climbing two flights of stairs could be this painstaking. Blaine sure didn't look as heavy as he felt as they practically dragged him upstairs.

"Okay…Blaine, you can lie-" Kurt started when they got into his room but didn't get to finish because the tenor had already crashed in Kurt's bed, burying himself sloppily under the covers. "-down in my bed," he finished slowly with a raised eyebrow.

Finn chuckled lightly. "Man, he's really out of it."

"He sure is," Kurt said dryly. "Just leave him here," he said and disappeared into the bathroom.

When he came back with his hair down and dressed in pajamas half an hour later, he definitely wasn't expecting what he saw in his bed. It was _crowded _and he wasn't even in it.

"What the hell are you doing, Finn?" he asked his stepbrother, who was sprawled next to Blaine, humming to himself contentedly.

"Getting myself ready to sleep," the taller boy stated simply. "I saved you some space though Mr. Warbler here is kinda pushy."

Kurt stared at him incredulously for a while. He never had men in his bed before and now he suddenly had two. And that wasn't the least of his problems. It only went to show what a crazy night this was. He counted to ten.

"Finn, I know you were raised in a closet but now you have your own room with your own bed," he said aiming for calm but ending up more than a little irritated. "And you'd better go and use it before I lose my patience."

"You don't expect me to just leave you alone with Blaine _in your bed_ for the night and go?"

"That is precisely what I expect you to do."

Finn eyed him skeptically. "Dude, it's like me sleeping with a girl."

Kurt rubbed his forehead, sighing in exasperation. "Finn, as touching as your concern is, Blaine is not going to take advantage of me and steal my virginity while I'm asleep so you can rest easy. In your own bed."

"Who says I'm worried about you?" Finn shot back with a lopsided grin. "I'm more worried about him."

Kurt felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips and had to take a while to compose himself.

"Finn, I'm not joking. Besides, how do you expect all three of us to squeeze in on one bed? You're kinda big, you know."

"I'm not big!" Finn exclaimed reproachfully. "I'm tall and athletic."

"Tomayto tomahto," Kurt said with an eye roll. "And totally not the point. Now get off my bed! It's enough I have a drunk, if undeniably cute, hobbit taking half of it."

Finn rolled off the bed because Kurt had his don't-mess-with-me-or-I-will-shave-your-head face but he still wasn't convinced. He stepped from one foot to the other and gave Blaine an unsure look just as the Warbler buried himself deeper under the covers and that freaky bear fur Kurt had over it.

"I mean, what if Burt comes in here and sees you two?" he asked. "If I were here, you could get out of it alive. You know, me doing this whole chaperon thing…is that the right word?"

"No," Kurt stated categorically, a blush of embarrassment on his face. "The right word is _murderer_. Which is what I'm going to become if you don't leave this instant."

"Fine," Finn huffed. "But don't tell me I didn't warn you. If Burt finds you two together in your bed in the morning, he certainly won't invite Blaine for chess. For hunting, more like it."

"Point taken," Kurt said, pushing Finn out. "I'll take my chances. Now go."

"Fine," Finn said but turned on the threshold last time. "If Burt kills you before I wake up, it was cool knowing you, bro."

"_Goodnight_, Finn."

"Night."

Kurt sighed in relief and closed the door behind him. Then he turned to his bed and leaned against the door. He swallowed, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. Blaine was here. In his bed. And they were going to sleep in it. Together.

He tried to play it cool before Finn but he was more than a little jittery. Slowly, he made it to the bed and gingerly slid under the covers, his nerves on edge. He lay stiffly with his hands clasped tightly to his sides afraid to move an inch in case he touched Blaine accidentally. He ground his teeth at himself and his sudden lack of confidence. He could play it cool. There was nothing to be nervous about. It was just a sleep over. He had dozens of those before. Nothing special about this one. _Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that, Hummel. _

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the hand flying to his face until it was too late. He almost yelped as Blaine's hand connected painfully with his nose. The tenor had somehow imperceptibly scooted to his side and was now lying mere inches from him on his stomach, all while fully asleep. Kurt removed the hand and shook his head. So Blaine was a fidgety sleeper. Another imperfect, if adorable, side to him that somehow made him like the other boy even better. He smiled and was actually starting to relax and drift off to sleep when the screen of his iPhone came to life with a text. He groaned and took it from the nightstand. His eyebrows rose as he read the text.

[I hid your dad's shotgun.]

[What? Are you out of your mind, Finn? My dad doesn't _actually_ own a shotgun.]

[R U sure? Huh.]

[Huh? What do you mean, huh?]

[Well, it sure looked like a shotgun 2 me.]

[B/c you're the gun expert. *eyeroll* It's probably a water pistol. Go to sleep.]

[Are water pistols supposed to have metal bullets?]

[…]

[I guess that's a no. Anyways, yur safe.]

[Leave it before you hurt yourself and Go. To. Sleep.]

[Ungrateful snot.]

[Snot? Are you 12? Dimwit. PS. One more text and I'll test if it's a shotgun on you.]

No more texts came after that and Kurt finally drifted off to sleep. He woke up with a start all too early to the sound of his alarm, finding Blaine snuggled to his side. It was only too intoxicating to have him so close and he lingered in the feeling a couple more minutes before sobering up and remembering why he'd set his alarm so early in the first place. His dad. That gave him the motivation to get out of bed. Putting his robe on, he opened the door to go to the bathroom and almost tripped and fell on his face. His jaw dropped when he saw what he'd stumbled on.

Finn was slumped in a half-sitting, half-lying position near the door, snoring away. If Kurt wasn't so amusedly angry or angrily amused – he wasn't sure which one yet – he'd feel sorry for him because that couldn't be comfortable. He was tempted to wake him up but decided against it. Instead, he went back to his room and returned with a blanket. He crouched near Finn and tucked him in as best as possible. Then he smiled and placed a chaste kiss on his temple. He would give him hell for this later but right now he could allow himself a moment of letting his front down. Finn might be silly and clueless and too easily impressionable but he always had his heart in the right place and Kurt knew he really cared about him, even if he showed it in the most annoying manner sometimes. Kurt wouldn't have it any other way.

He looked up, hearing Blaine groan from the bed. Then Finn let out a groan. Kurt sighed. Between two under-slept boys, one hung-over and one with a terrible crick in his neck, and his dad and Carole, this was going to be a long morning.

* * *

And how long exactly you will find out with Kurt in the next chapter:) I hope you liked this one, don't forget to review:)


	28. 2x14: Breakfast of Champions

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **All quiet on the Western Front, which may be loosely interpreted as Kurt, Finn and Glee still aren't mine;)

**A/N: **As promised, the third and last part of the mad party trilogy with guest appearances by Blaine, Carole and a somewhat disgruntled Burt;) I really wish we could have seen the Hudmels all together that morning on the show – it would have been so much fun and awkwardness! Anyways, I hope you'll like what I've come up with – here we go:)

* * *

**Furt Trainwreck Extravaganza Chronicles**

_Part 3__ – Breakfast of Champions_

When Kurt came back from the bathroom he shared with Finn, feeling slightly more awake after his shower, he sighed. In the half hour that it took him, Finn had somehow managed to slide sideways in his sleep and was now barricading the entrance to the room, lying in a big messy heap at the door. Kurt stood over him for a while considering his options when suddenly Finn let out a loud snore and Kurt almost jumped, startled. With an amused smile, he shook his head in a self-deprecatory manner and bent down over his stepbrother.

"Finn?" he said gently, tapping his shoulder.

Nothing.

"Finn, wake up."

No reaction whatsoever.

"_Now_."

Not a twitch of a single muscle. If it wasn't for the snoring, Kurt would start getting worried if Finn was _alive_.

"Finn, get up," he hissed, irritated. "Just looking at you like this makes my spine ache," Kurt added frowning at his stepbrother's half-lying, half-sitting position. He was lying on his _head_, for Christ's sake. How could you even get yourself into such a sleeping position?

Kurt tapped his foot impatiently. Finn was still deep asleep. Or comatose. Either way, this called for drastic measures.

"If you don't give me some sort of sign that you hear me and are awake, I _will _kick you."

"..."

"I'm not joking."

"..."

"Fine."

_Thump._

"Ouch..."

"You asked for it," Kurt said. "Don't you turn around on me!" he exclaimed and grabbed Finn by the shoulder, preventing him from turning.

Finn finally cracked an eye open. "G'way, Krrrt," came a slur from the still half-unconscious boy.

"This is my room you're blocking the way to, Finn," Kurt said with a raised eyebrow. "Where am I supposed to go?"

Finn waved a hand at him as if he was fending off a particularly pesky fly. "I dunno. Just go away."

Kurt let out an exasperated groan and counted to ten.

"Finn, I swear on Helena Bonham-Carter's mismatched Golden Globes kitten heels..."

Finn's eyes snapped open. "Dude, dude, too many strange long words, too early in the morning!" he groaned reproachfully.

"Then get up!"

"I don't want to," Finn whined, rubbing at his eyes.

"Finn, you do realize you're lying on the floor, in the middle of the corridor?"

"Oh, so that's why it's so hard," Finn said looking around as if to make sure. "I thought I was having a dream where I was one of those Indian guys – fuckeers?"

Kurt suppressed a snigger. "Fakirs, Finn. They're called _fakirs_."

"Huh. It makes sense now. I thought it was strange anyone would willingly call themselves like that…" he mused. Kurt crossed his hands impatiently. "Anyways," Finn continued. "I thought I was dreaming that I was one of…those guys, and I was lying on this bed-of-nails thing."

"Well, you're not," Kurt stressed. "You're just lying on plain old floor and annoying the hell out of me."

"It must be Saturday morning then," Finn quipped with a grin.

Kurt sighed. "I'm blaming you for my eye damage because of the sheer amount of eye rolls this conversation's making me do."

"Sorry? I guess."

Kurt refrained from another eye roll, resorting to putting his hands on his hips to make his point. "So, are you getting up or do you want me to stomp all over you? Or overwhelm you to death with my eloquence?"

"Ok, ok, I'm getting up!" Finn exclaimed, hoping _eeloquence _wasn't some evil torture involving electric eels or something. Whatever it was, coming from Kurt's lips, it sounded pretty scary.

He chanced a look at the door to Kurt's room. If he was getting tortured with electric eels, it would at least be for a good cause.

"Is...Blaine still in your room?" he asked uneasily.

"Not that it's any of your business-" Kurt said raising his voice pointedly. "-but yes. _Asleep_. Like he was _the whole night_," he enunciated.

"I know."

Kurt felt a blush creep up his cheeks. "Finn, it's enough you were sleeping under my door. You were eavesdropping, too?"

"Hey, I had to make sure!"

Kurt crossed his arms on his chest. "Make sure _what_?" he asked with the intention of making his stepbrother squirm.

"Um, that you're ok. You know..." Finn mumbled. "I mean, I really don't…you know, what two guys do together behind closed doors-" he was fumbling for words hard, looking fiercely at his sock-clad feet.

Kurt blanched. His embarrass-Finn-to-death plan was backfiring in his face. Fast.

"It's not like you can get pregnant or anything, I guess, but..." Finn let his voice trail as he looked at Kurt. The look of utter horror on his face might have been amusing but Finn was pretty much sure it was about to turn into murdering rage any moment.

"Oh. My. Gaga," Kurt mumbled. "This is not happening," he muttered to himself. "I am not having a gay sex awareness conversation with you just now. I'm still dreaming."

"I can pinch you," Finn offered helpfully.

Kurt shot him a glare. "You've done quite enough. I think I'm freaked out for the whole week. Now go away while you still have legs to carry you as far away from me as possible."

Finn didn't need to be told twice. He stumbled to his room, dragging his blanket after him. On the threshold to his room, he turned again, his face scrunched up.

"Kurt?" he asked.

"Yes, Finn? Just please no more sex talk from you," the smaller boy groaned snidely. "It's really too early in the morning for the facts-of-life conversation."

"Did you _kick me_?"

Kurt blinked, then quickly composed himself. That one he didn't expect.

"Why would I kick you?" he replied, his eyes blue, wide and innocent all of a sudden.

Finn eyed him for a moment. He could swear there was something wrong with Kurt's lips for a moment there as if he was holding himself back but then it was gone replaced by an angelic little smile. Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "Good. Because I would totally shave _your head_ in your sleep if you did."

"Always the master of subtle veiled threats," Kurt quipped with a raised eyebrow. "And don't you think that's a bit extreme?"

"Kicking your helpless, sleeping brother who's watching over you is _extreme_," Finn stressed. "Extremely mean."

Kurt slowly stepped backwards to his room. "It's a good thing _I didn't_, then," he said levelly. "And you can go back to sleep now," he added quickly stepping into his room. He didn't want to be within grabbing distance when Finn worked it out.

He was about half-way through his moisturizing routine when he heard his dad calling him. He glanced at the clock. Was that the time? _Shit_. Today was supposed to be happy-bonding-in-the-kitchen time.

"I'll be down in a minute!" he yelled hoping that would put his dad's newly-found culinary enthusiasm at bay.

No such luck. Suddenly the door to his room was swinging open. He almost swallowed the towellette he was holding over his mouth seeing his dad come in and address Blaine in his bed thinking it was him.

"Hey, what's this? Today was to be the day you were gonna teach me all about brunch."

"I'll be down in a sec," he said trying to sound casual and look blasé as he leaned over from his vanity to look at his dad. He was still half-expecting his dad somehow didn't notice Blaine but his hopes proved futile as the dark-haired boy chose that particular moment to wake up. _Perfect._

Kurt swallowed hard seeing the mortification on his dad's face. As Burt backed away from the room with careful steps, he gave Kurt a long shocked glance. It would have been quite amusing to see his dad so thrown and blindsided had it not been for the fact that he was now probably a dead man. And he had a very much hung-over Blaine to tend to.

He stepped over to the bed where the said Warbler was groaning. He had kicked the covers off the bed and was lying with his face buried in a pillow. Kurt picked the blanket up and was about to cover Blaine with it, when his gaze was met with the tenor's suddenly very wide, very open eyes staring up at him.

"Kurt, are you an angel?" he slurred dreamily looking at the other boy and reaching up to put a hand to his cheek. "Am I dreaming?"

Kurt froze, feeling a blush creep up his face all the way to the tip of his head at the pleasantly warm feel of Blaine's fingers on his skin and the intensity of his gaze.

"I think I am," Blaine muttered before Kurt managed to get his act together. And then the older boy's hand fell away and he was out again like someone had knocked him over the head.

Trying to get his heart beat back to normal, Kurt sighed and put the blanket over him.

"I wish you weren't," he muttered.

Half an hour later, just as Kurt was done with his moisturizing and was furiously thinking up ways to placate his dad and save his and Blaine's lives, he looked over to see the other boy awkwardly scrambling to a sitting position. He seemed to be fully awake this time.

"Where am I?" he mumbled, rubbing his blood-shot eyes.

"You're at my house," Kurt said standing before him with a raised eyebrow.

Blaine's hands fell from his face. "What? Why?"

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. "You don't remember last night?"

Blaine looked at Kurt like he'd seen him for the first time in his life. Then he took a slightly panicky, if unfocused, look at Kurt in his pajamas and the very much rumpled bed.

"The party. I think I drank too much-" he began.

"You think?" Kurt asked, his mouth curving upwards.

"Oh my God," Blaine mumbled staring at him wide-eyed. "We didn't...I mean..." he fumbled for words. His head, which was apparently trying to spontaneously explode from the inside, wasn't helping, either.

"No," Kurt said simply deciding to put the other boy out of his misery. "Seeing you were eating Rachel Berry's face all night," he muttered under his breath.

"I was what? Eating all night?"

"Doesn't matter," Kurt said dryly. "You drank too much, couldn't drive, I let you crash here, you slept through the whole night. End of story."

Blaine groaned and fell back on the covers. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I feel like hell and I'm extremely-"

"Thirsty?" Kurt asked knowingly.

"Yeah. How did you-?"

"Let's just say I've had my share of the incredible fun ride that is a hangover. Here," he handed him a bottle of water. "Drink all of it. You need to rehydrate."

Blaine took the bottle and gulped it down in record time.

"You should drink at least four bottles today," Kurt instructed, slightly amused. "And a banana wouldn't hurt. Raises potassium levels."

"Ugh. I don't think my stomach can handle anything solid right about now. And my tongue feels like an old slipper," Blaine remarked clicking his tongue with a frown. "It tastes like it, too."

Kurt cracked a smile. "There's a new toothbrush in the bathroom. And I'll make you some fruit juice in the kitchen. As good as a banana."

"Wow, you really know your hangover cures, Kurt," Blaine said trying to muster a smile but only grimaced as a symphonic orchestra began a concert inside his head. "Oh God," he groaned, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I wish I could unscrew my head and put it in a freezer."

"I don't think minus ten temperatures would agree with your hair gel," Kurt said with amusement.

Blaine groaned. "Go ahead, mock the only way I can get my freakishly curly hair to not look like a mop while I'm dying here of alcohol poisoning," he said dramatically.

"I just did."

Blaine tried to scowl but the orchestra in his head began a new piece that had to be something by Rammstein because his temples were positively pulsing.

"Ugh, any Tylenol, nurse Kurt?"

Kurt made a face at him. "Do you _really want _to get your head unscrewed and in the freezer?"

"I'm kinda attached to it," Blaine quipped. "But teasing you takes the edge off of the pain so I'm actually considering it."

Kurt chuckled and was about to reply when he saw Blaine turn green.

"I think maybe you-" he began but the tenor was already on his feet and out the door, clamping his hand to his mouth.

"First door on the right!" Kurt said after him.

Stumbling out of the room, Blaine almost collided with Finn, who had just come out of the bathroom. The shorter boy managed a weak wave in his direction and disappeared behind the door. Finn looked after him, then shrugged and went downstairs. The new house, though nice and much bigger than their old one, was still quite the challenge and before he neared the kitchen, he managed to get lost twice and trip over some boxes left over from the move. When he finally got to the Promised Land of Breakfast, he groaned hearing raised voices. So much for a peaceful breakfast. When he heard Blaine's name, he hid behind the door.

"There's a boy in his bed!" Burt was saying. "It's this Blaine from Dalton. I think. I didn't get a good look cause I was trying to get my breathing back."

_Shit. _Finn's eyebrows knit together. Surprise, surprise, Kurt didn't get away with his little _sleep over_. Finn was glad Kurt had shooed him away and he wasn't there for the actual scene.

"That nice boy who was with us at Finn's championship game?" Carole asked Burt in the mean time and Finn focused on the conversation.

"Yes. But that's not the point," Burt said impatiently. "He was_ in Kurt's bed_, Carole. I'm going to kill him."

"Kurt or Blaine?" she asked levelly though Finn could hear the smirk in her voice.

Burt scoffed.

"Was Blaine dressed?" Carole asked matter-of-factly.

Burt seemed to be thrown off track a bit. "Um, yes."

"Was Kurt dressed?"

"Yes but-"

"Then there's no need to overreact, Burt."

Finn smiled to himself. Burt was still learning about his mom's sneaky tactics. And the fact there was no winning with her when she set her mind on something.

"Give them the benefit of the doubt at least, ok?" Carole continued.

"Can I give this Blaine _the benefit of the doubt_ after I kill him?"

"Honey, has Kurt ever let you down or abused your trust?"

"No, but-"

"Then at least don't make a scene in front of Blaine and talk to Kurt when you're alone, ok?"

"I'll try but if this Blaine is one word out of line-"

"-then I'll bring you the shotgun myself," Carole said and Finn could almost see her eye roll.

Burt chuckled lightly and the atmosphere seemed to lighten a bit. "How is it you always know what to say to me?"

"I'm just that good," came the cheeky reply and Finn decided now was a good time to step in if he wanted to get his breakfast any time soon and didn't want to witness his parents making out.

"Oh, hi, honey," Carole greeted him a little flustered and moved away from Burt to the stove, where Finn detected something really good-smelling sizzling on the frying pan.

"Morning, Finn," Burt said with an amused smile looking after Carole.

"Hi, mom, Burt," he mumbled and plopped himself opposite the elder Hummel.

Burt gave him an appraising look. "Long night?"

"Yeah, you can say so."

"How was the party?" Burt prodded.

"Um, fine, I guess."

"From what I see it was more than fine," Burt said snidely. "Did you know about Blaine sleeping here?"

"Sure. He was too...sick to drive so we took him here."

"And why was he-"

"Finn, put new coffee on, will you?" Carole suddenly interrupted and gave Burt a glare.

"Honey, are you sure that's a good idea?" Burt asked eyeing Finn, who still seemed like he was asleep. "The boy might hurt himself."

"He'll be fine," Carole said and ushered Finn out of his chair. "Just don't put coffee in the water container again, honey," she instructed and turned to Burt with a disapproving glance.

She was about to say something when Kurt went in, followed closely by Blaine. Finn's eyes widened. This was going to be good. Or very bad. Blaine looked completely miserable. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin was slightly greenish and his face was scrunched up in what was unmistakable agony. Nevertheless, upon entering, he straightened up and tried to look as presentable as possible in his wrinkled pullover and jeans.

"Um, dad, Carole, you remember Blaine," Kurt began slightly sheepishly. "He stayed over, is it ok if he stays for breakfast?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Hummel, Mr. Hummel," Blaine said mustering the most charming smile he was able in his state. Which wasn't much but still, Finn had to give the guy points for trying. "I really should be going and don't want to impose-"

"Nonsense!" Carole cut him off quickly seeing Burt was opening his mouth. "Any friend of Kurt's is welcome here," she said pointedly in her husband's direction though her eyes didn't leave Blaine. "Come and sit down," she patted a chair as far away from Burt as possible.

Kurt mouthed a silent 'thank you' in her direction and sat down between Blaine and his dad. Carole put half a grapefruit and two boiled eggs with whole-grain toast before him. He smiled at her gratefully.

"How about you, honey?" she asked Blaine. "Bacon and eggs?"

"Ugh, no, thank you, Mrs. Hummel. I'll...I'll just have coffee if that's ok."

Burt raised an eyebrow at him and oh-so-accidentally dropped a fork on the floor. Blaine flinched, the clink not very loud but his hung-over brain feeling it tenfold. Burt smirked slightly and turned towards his stepson.

"How's it going over there, Finn?" he asked.

"Ugh, what?" Finn seemed to snap out of his slumber next to the coffee maker.

"The coffee, Finn?"

"Um, fine," he muttered looking at the full decanter.

Carole went over to him and took the coffee over to the table.

"For the record, your impersonation of an inanimate object is really coming along," she said wryly as she ushered her son to the table next to Blaine and placed a plateful of bacon and eggs in front of him.

Finn slumped, his back and neck killing him, and started despondently munching on his bacon.

"Finn, sit up straight," Carole chided him gently. "You look like you're about to fall face down into that plate. Everything all right?"

"Yeah. I just...didn't sleep well and my back kinda hurts," Finn said narrowing his eyes at Kurt.

The smaller boy returned the scowl and stuck his tongue out at him when Carole wasn't looking. He knew it was childish but right now due to the presence of their parents and Blaine, his repertoire was drastically limited.

"I'm sorry, sweetie!" Carole cooed. "Do you need a back rub?"

Finn turned red. "No, mom! I'm fine!"

"Come on, Finn," Burt teased with a chuckle. "There's nothing bad about a back rub. In fact, if you don't want one, I could use it." He waggled his eyebrows at Carole.

"Daaaad!"

"Buuuurt!"

Kurt and Finn had the same mortified expressions on their faces and Blaine, who was silently observing the whole interaction, had to chuckle even despite Rammstein unplugged still going on in his head.

"Ok, ok! No back rub for me!" Burt said defensively raising his hands palm up in mock surrender. "Sheesh, a guy can't even get a bit flirty with his own wife!"

"Not when there are witnesses," Kurt said pointedly. "As in your _teenage children_."

"I think there's a rule about that," Finn added with a grin.

"Besides, what married couple _flirts_?" Kurt continued, an amused smile curving his lips. "I thought it was all bickering and fighting over the remote after the wedding. You're destroying a perfectly good stereotype here, dad."

"I raised a cynic," Burt said playfully with a mockingly mournful shake of his head.

"It's not your fault, honey, they happen in the best of families," Carole teased kissing Kurt on the head.

Kurt took it all with a dignified pout. "A cynic is an optimist without delusions," he said haughtily.

"Cy-what?" Finn suddenly joined in. "Kurt, are you ill or something?"

Kurt blinked. Then they all burst out with laughter.

"What was so funny?" Finn huffed.

"Don't worry about it, Finn. In the worst case, you'll always have your charm," Kurt said wryly.

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "Oh, I'm not worried, _Kurtie bear_," he said with an innocent grin.

Kurt scowled. _He just did not go there_.

"Kurtie bear?" Carole repeated enthusiastically. "Is that Kurt's nickname, sweetie?" she asked Finn.

Kurt nearly choked on his chamomile tea.

Burt clapped him on the back while Finn pretended to not notice the murderous glare his stepbrother was sending his way.

"Um, sure," Finn agreed with a self-satisfied smile at his stepbrother. If looks could kill, Finn would be deader than…a very dead person right now.

"I like it," Carole said, oblivious of the glare competition going on between the two boys. "It's adorable."

Kurt put his mug down loudly.

"It's not."

"It is, Kurtie," Carole smiled at him and Kurt looked at her with chagrin.

"Please don't call me that," he said hiding his face in his hands.

"Oh, come on, Kurt," Burt joined in. "Don't be so uptight."

Kurt shot him a reproachful look. "I'm not uptight! I just don't want to be called embarrassing names! And in front of my-" he added shooting a glance in Blaine's direction and feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. _I almost put my foot in it, didn't I? _"-friend," he finally mumbled.

"I'm not your friend," Blaine deadpanned, obviously amused. "Go on."

Burt raised an eyebrow at the black-haired boy and turned back to his huffing son.

"We're your parents," he said with a grin. "It's in our job description, booger," he added snidely.

Kurt felt color rise in his cheeks. "Dad! I'm not ten!"

"You kinda look like it, though," Finn supplanted helpfully over his mug of coffee.

"You do, kiddo," Burt agreed with a chuckle and went back to his paper. As soon as he did, Kurt made a horizontal, slicing move over his neck in Finn's direction indicating heads – one at least – would roll. Finn threw a sugar packet at his head. It bounced off Kurt's forehead and landed in his tea mug. Kurt shot him a furious glance as he tried to fish it out.

Blaine found himself grinning. He didn't participate much, he was a stranger and didn't want to spoil the family atmosphere or throw off the dynamics. And his head hurt like hell so putting two coherent words together would be a challenge, anyway. But this was precious, even from a bystander's perspective.

He might be half-conscious and hung-over but even in this state, one thing was clear from the moment he sat at the Hudmel kitchen table. Blood-related or not, the four people before him had to be the warmest, most loving and adorable family he'd ever met, his own included. Blaine found himself wishing he could be a part of it. His gaze involuntarily wandered to Kurt and he felt a wide, goofy grin spread over his lips as a warm feeling lodged itself in his stomach. Kurt must have felt his stare because he turned to him and their gazes met. First, there was the most adorable furrow of surprised eyebrows, then a blush.

"What's with the creepy stare, Blaine?" Finn whispered nudging him in the side and then nodding knowingly as he followed the other boy's gaze.

"I think this hangover's one of the best things that have ever happened to me," Blaine said thoughtfully, his eyes still glued to Kurt.

Finn shot him a sideways look.

"You're weird, dude."

"I am." Blaine nodded seriously. "And I think I am also in love."

They both looked at Kurt again and as he met their gazes, he rolled his eyes in exasperation. He mouthed 'what the hell?' and they both grinned even wider. Neither would admit it – ok, maybe Blaine would once his head stopped trying to disconnect from his body – but he was the most precious thing in the world to both of them at that moment.

Then Finn looked back to Blaine. "Finally," he said with a relieved smile. "One thing, though."

Blaine looked at him questioningly. "Oh?"

"I'm really good with a shovel. And I don't mean for geraniums."

* * *

Ok, I know that this definitely wasn't how it would have gone on the show since Blaine went on the date with Rachel and had his bi-dilemma afterwards and everything but this is how I'd have wanted it to go down – I hope that's fine with you and you've enjoyed this:) Let me know! Reading your reviews is such wonderful fuel and inspiration and it really keeps me going:)

PS. Heard Kurt and Blaine's duet 'Animal' yet? I just have and can't wait for tomorrow's episode even more;) So great to hear Kurt sing again, and sooo low:D


	29. 2x15: The Brothers Penguin

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Kurt, Finn and Glee aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for a while and promise to return them whole and unscathed when I'm finished;)

**A/N: **Again, no Furt to speak of this week but those delightful Kurt moments almost made up for it (oh, The Talk! I know it's been said a million times but I have to say it again – Chris and Mike have incredible chemistry, and Burt is like the best TV dad EVER!).

Spoilers for 'Sexy', begins shortly after The Talk.

* * *

**The Brothers Penguin**

It was quiet. Ominously, eerily quiet. Like post-Chainsaw-Massacre quiet.

As Finn made his way up the path to the Hudmel home that evening after another Glee emergency rehearsal and stepped through the door, he half-expected to find Kurt's and Burt's chopped corpses in the hall. Because he saw both their cars were parked in the street, and there was no other way it was so quiet if they were both home. These days it usually meant heated conversations in raised voices about uncomfortable things. Silence just wasn't in the Hummel men's repertoire.

This evening, though, the house was silent and plunged in dim light, which made him look out for Freddy Kruger or Hannibal Lecter. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing Burt was very much alive, snoring away on the couch with 'Deadliest Catch' on mute. Careful not to wake him, Finn tiptoed to the stairs and up to his room to dump his things. He felt his stomach rumble and grimaced. His mom was working the night shift so he would have to go scavenging in the kitchen for some leftovers. Or maybe he could blackmail Kurt into making him one of those pancakes that weren't exactly pancakes and had a strange, French-sounding name. With that in mind, he stopped when passing by his stepbrother's room. And stared.

Kurt was sitting cross-legged on his vanity bench, his back hunched and his face wearing an expression which was a strange mixture of embarrassment, shock, curiosity and a couple of other things Finn couldn't really name. All these emotions were directed at one thing – a pamphlet he was reading. As Finn looked on, Kurt gave the brochure a confused frown and tipped his head to the side, his eyes narrowing as they scanned the text. Then his face went from his usual porcelain pale to beetroot red and he cleared his throat. He took a deep sigh and turned to the vanity mirror. He just stared at his reflection for a while and then started doing very weird things with his face. Finn couldn't hide his amusement any longer and sniggered, stepping into the room with a knock.

"What are you _doing_, dude?" he asked.

Kurt let out a surprised squeak, literally jumping up in the air. He turned to Finn with a reproachful look.

"You don't walk up on people like that in their own rooms!" he sputtered, frantically shoving the pamphlet into his trousers pocket. "You knock, stomp…or yodel!"

Finn looked at him quizzically. "I'm not sure about that third one but I'm pretty much sure I did the first two. You were just…too busy to notice. Which brings me back to my question. What _was_ that?" he waved his hand between Kurt and the mirror. "Do you have…gas problems or something?"

Kurt blinked. Then he moaned, looking like he was about to cry, and hid his face in his hands. Slightly alarmed, Finn ventured further into the room.

"What's wrong? Is it that bad, buddy?" he asked, gingerly sitting next to his stepbrother on the bench. "My mom gives me soda water to drink for this and it always helps…do you want me to bring you some?"

Kurt raised his face from his hands and stared at him with disbelief. "This is a dream. It's a nightmare and I'll wake up any second. Because I am not seriously discussing gas with you."

"Hey, it's nature," Finn said casually with a shrug.

Kurt looked up at him incredulously. "Finn, you want to do something for me?" he asked, aiming for calm but ending up slightly shrill. Finn nodded. "Then please zip it right now."

The taller boy looked at him, confused as to why the other boy was so freaked out. "Um, ok. Sure. And the water?"

Kurt groaned in irritation. "Finn, what part of 'zip it' don't you understand? And I don't have gas problems, dammit!" he said angrily jumping up from the bench, face flushed and eyes shooting daggers.

"Ok! Ok!" Finn said defensively, his tone hurt. "Just don't bite my head off for wanting to help you! It won't happen again, I promise!"

Kurt seethed for a while more, then sighed and sat back on the bench next to Finn.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I know you mean well. It's just-" he raised his eyes to the ceiling and shook his head. "-I had a very long, very embarrassing day."

Finn nodded in understanding. There were some days that _weren't _like that for him.

"Anything I can do to help?" he offered. "That hopefully doesn't involve you biting my head off?"

Kurt shot him a wayward glance. "Actually, that _could _help," he said wryly.

Finn looked at him reproachfully and the smaller boy ruffled his hair in an affectionate gesture.

"Hey!" Finn exclaimed, pushing his stepbrother's hand away. "The hair's off limits for you!"

"Since when?" Kurt asked, genuinely surprised.

"Since you threatened me yesterday to pour my Mountain Dew on my Xbox if I touched yours," he answered with reproach.

"I'd be doing you a favor," Kurt retorted haughtily. "Those stupid games are frying your brains out. And Mountain Dew?" He made a face at Finn. "That stuff's disgusting. I don't understand how you can drink it. It tastes like washer fluid."

"Dude, how do you know what washer fluid tastes like?"

Kurt felt his lips twitch upwards. "And a figure of speech is just something that happens to other people, isn't it?"

"Don't answer me with questions! And questions I don't understand!"

"Am I answering you with questions?" Kurt asked innocently but couldn't quite hide the smirk.

"And you're having way too much fun doing it," Finn said, his eyes narrowing.

"What can I say?" Kurt shrugged gracefully. "I'm just evil that way."

Finn shook his head and for a moment his gaze landed back on the pamphlet, still half-sticking from Kurt's back pocket. He'd set his eyes on it the moment he saw Kurt with it and now he saw his chance and made a reach for it.

Kurt's eyes widened in horror and he launched himself at Finn, trying to get the condemning piece of paper back. A scuffle ensued in which manly dignity was forgotten as hair was pulled and more than one sissy kick aimed, before Kurt managed to pry the pamphlet out of Finn's hands. But not before Finn caught a glimpse of the word 'sex' in the title. He froze and looked at Kurt, his expression serious. Then his face lit up.

"Did you have sex ed classes at Dalton this week, too?" he asked. "We had them with Miss Holliday…and actually, I wanted to ask you something," he added uneasily.

Kurt allowed himself a silent sigh of relief that Finn had the attention span of a cocker spaniel and seemed to have forgotten about the pamphlet already. Then it hit him that Finn had just used the words 'sex' and 'ask you' and was now looking at him expectantly. His face fell.

"Please don't tell me it's time to talk about the facts of life," he said weakly.

"Well…"

"You know the storks are just a smokescreen, right?"

"Yeah, Mr. Schue explained that to Britt yesterday."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "And you know you really can't get someone pregnant wearing a bathing suit?"

"I had my suspicions about that one!" Finn huffed reproachfully.

Kurt looked at him skeptically but saw his chance at getting out of this one. "Ok. Then I think we have the brotherly sex talk covered," he dismissed him quickly. "You're perfectly educated and don't need to ask me any questions."

"No, there's something else," Finn ploughed on.

Kurt blanched but decided to be the better man about it, just like his dad had been with him. This was important stuff and if he could help Finn avoid trouble in the future by talking to him, then hell, he would do it. No matter how red in the face it was going to make him.

"Ok, let's hear it then," he said steeling himself for another very embarrassing moment in a countless string of embarrassing moments that was the last couple of days.

"Um…can you get AIDS from a cucumber?"

Kurt blinked, trying to drop the WTF that must surely be printed in big letters on his forehead right now.

"I mean-" Finn fumbled for words. "-Miss Holliday talked about AIDS and cucumbers…and I was worried about you because you eat them a lot."

Kurt stared at him for a while tough he couldn't say he wasn't relieved. When he got his voice back, he chuckled. "I really don't know if I'm supposed to be touched, embarrassed or simply mortified."

"So, um, I guess that's a no?"

"Yes, Finn. It's a no," Kurt stated. "You can't get AIDS or an STD from a cucumber. Or a cabbage, tomato and any other vegetable."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Isn't tomato a fruit?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You're missing the point here, Finn," he stressed. The taller boy looked at him questioningly. "Which is: vegetables are good for you and don't give you diseases. They protect you from them and you should eat them." He huffed a big sigh. "Jeez, I feel like a kindergarten teacher."

"You'd be a good one," Finn deadpanned, ignoring Kurt's withering glance. "So…did you get that from your pamphlets?"

Apparently, cocker spaniels had longer attention spans than Kurt gave them credit for. Damn.

"Um…no, Finn." Kurt stuttered. "I got it from that mystical thing called _common sense_," he added snidely regaining his composure.

"Oh, yeah, I heard about that one somewhere," Finn said with a grin and Kurt just shook his head. "So what's in those pamphlets, then? If they're sex ed, maybe I should read them, too. You know, since I kinda really did think you can get a girl pregnant by sitting in a jacuzzi with her."

Kurt's eyes widened in panic. "No, Finn," he objected categorically. "Those pamphlets are definitely _not_ for you, believe me."

"They made you do those weird, scary things with your face so they've got to be fun!" Finn persisted.

Kurt hid his face in his hands. "It's official," he said with resignation. "I'm a penguin."

Finn looked at him confused. "Did I miss something? You're a what?"

"A _penguin_, Finn," Kurt enunciated looking up at him. "A flightless marine bird that lives in Antarctica and has as much sex appeal as me."

"I know what penguins are!" Finn exclaimed in a hurt tone. "It's those funny guys that look like they're wearing tuxedos and can tap dance," he said with a proud grin.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's what they did in 'Happy Feet'!" Finn said defensively. "Not that I watched it or anything!" he added quickly. "Because it's for kids and it's a cartoon."

"It's actually a computer animation," Kurt said innocently.

"Yeah!" Finn exclaimed, animated. "And the special effects were so cool, like when they all danced together and…" he let his voice trail under Kurt's pointed stare. He cleared his throat, lowering his gaze. "I just might have caught a glimpse when my niece was watching it."

"You're just digging yourself a deeper grave, Finn," the smaller boy said wryly. "You don't _have_ a niece," he added.

"What? How do you know I don't?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "As far as I know, I'm your only sibling. And I don't have a daughter," he said levelly. "Well, the ninties were a blur but I don't think I was making anyone pregnant when I was five," he added wryly.

Finn seemed to finally get it. "Oh, a _niece_...I...I meant my cousin-" he let his voice trail under Kurt's gaze. "I really stepped into that one, didn't I?"

"Yup," Kurt agreed. "Though I don't see what the big deal is."

"Fine, it's not. I watch cartoons and I like it, there I said it."

"Good for you," Kurt quipped.

Finn just shook his head, frowning. "And _how _exactly did we get from penguins to family?"

"The miracles of a conversation with you, I guess," Kurt shot back wryly, running a hand through his bangs.

"It's a miracle I'm still talking to you and not punching you, you...you snide, look-my-zingers-are-so-witty guy." Finn huffed. "I mean, why do you say you're a penguin? What's this about?"

Kurt sighed. Sarcasm and zingers could only get him so far. Besides, he'd told Finn so much already, he might as well tell him everything.

"Well, I have as much sex appeal. And I can't make a sultry face."

"A sultry-" Finn stopped short. "Dude, why would you want to make a _sultry face_?" he asked guardedly. "Do I even wanna know?"

"We're trying to sex the Warblers up for Regionals," Kurt explained. "And I suck at it," he said, plopping himself despondently on his bed. "I'm a penguin. A hopeless, sexless, lonely baby penguin."

Finn blinked. There was a deeper undercurrent in Kurt's tone that made Finn realize this was serious. His stepbrother was very strong in so many ways and Finn admired him for it but at the same time there was a fragility and vulnerability to him that not many people noticed or understood. For some reason, Finn was always able to sense that and it was one of those things that subconsciously made him even more fiercely protective of the smaller boy.

"Hey, you're not some stupid, tap-dancing bird," he said patting Kurt's shoulder. "You're a _person_. True, maybe not the sexiest-"

"Is this supposed to be helping?"

"Let me finish!" Finn huffed at him. "So...um, you're not the sexiest and you take too long in the bathroom and you're sassy and you _talk way too much_," he continued pointedly, not heeding Kurt's withering gaze. "But no one in their right minds who's ever met you cares about those things. And you know why? Because on top of that, you're a strong, compassionate, inspiring person, Kurt. Someone to look up to and respect," he added earnestly. "A person whose humor I never seem to get but still." He grinned at Kurt, whose eyes had become strangely glossy throughout his off-the-cuff speech. "And you're definitely not lonely. Not while I'm alive," he said with all seriousness.

Kurt stared at him, his eyes a lucid blue.

Finn shifted uneasily under his gaze. "Anyways…that's how I feel. And I'm not afraid to say this out loud. Even if it makes me a total sap or softie or whatever."

"You are a total sap," Kurt sniffled, rubbing at his eyes and letting out a chuckle. "But I wouldn't have it any other way," he added.

The taller boy grinned at him. "You're saying I'm amazing just the way I am, weirdo?" he asked teasingly.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Kurt uttered in all seriousness. "And I have a song to prove it."

The grin on Finn's face widened. "Funny, so do I."

"So you're saying I'm amazing, too, Frankenteen?"

"And don't even bother asking if you look ok." Finn quipped. "And you're stuck with me. Whether you like it or not."

"That wasn't in the lyrics."

"It is in my version," Finn said. Then he looked at Kurt excitedly. "Hey, does this mean we've got, like, our song?"

Kurt stared at him. Finn never ceased to amaze him. "No, Finn. That's way too gay," he quipped but his voice was filled with warmth.

The taller boy looked at him and chuckled. Finn's joy was way too contagious and Kurt found himself laughing, too. Finn only stopped when a powerful rumble resounded from the general direction of his stomach.

"Hey, are you eating that?" he motioned at the half-eaten toast on the vanity.

Kurt stared at him, then shook his head. "Cocker spaniel," he muttered. "No. You can have it."

"Thanks, man. I'm starving. Mr. Schue's really been working our fingers, I mean legs, to the bone at Glee. I think he's really freaked out about, well, you. And Coach Sylvester."

"And you're rehearsing this hard, huh?"

"Yeah. We'll totally kick your asses. We're freaked out but we will."

"Not if we do our Warbler sexplosion," Kurt objected haughtily. Then his face fell. "Which I won't be a part of because I'll be cowering in the last row trying not to scare the judges."

"Hey, it's all a matter of practice," Finn said over the last bite of toast. "How about we try those sultry faces?" he suggested excitedly, putting the empty plate away. "It's nothing difficult!"

"Like you know anything about it."

"Of course I do! Watch and learn!" Finn huffed and made his impression of sultry.

"If this is your sultry, then you're an even worse penguin than I am. How on Gaga's meat dress did you ever get a girlfriend? Two?"

"Well, they're both in Celibacy Club so sultry isn't their thing so much...And there's nothing wrong with my faces!" he exclaimed, giving it another shot.

That was too much for Kurt. He cracked up and soon there were tears in his eyes again but this time, they were tears of joy. Finn stuck his tongue out at him in the mirror.

"You think that's funny? Let's see yours then."

Kurt took a deep breath and tried it.

"Ok, that was plain scary. Don't ever do that again. Especially at Regionals. If you want to win, that is," he said in a mock frightened voice. "Hey, how about a sexy face?" he suggested.

Kurt tried and gave him a wayward look. "I swear, if you're doing this to make funny pictures of me..."

"I already have your pictures in a pink apron and a Target tee," Finn deadpanned. "That's enough blackmail material for life."

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"So, give me your sexy."

They ended up doing impressions of their fellow Gleeks, teachers and various animals until their faces hurt, and some more after that. When they ran out of ideas, they just stuck their tongues and squinted at each other.

Kurt snorted at Finn's squinty face and Finn joined him, nudging him playfully in the side. He underestimated his strength, though, and pushed the smaller boy too hard. The next thing Finn knew, Kurt's legs were in the air and he was falling backwards on his ass. He grabbed Finn's arm for support but only ended up dragging the other boy with him. They landed in a tangle of hands and legs on the floor.

They looked at each other in a stunned silence for a while…and burst out laughing again, rolling on the floor.

When their faces and stomachs started hurting from all the laughing, and they started to calm down, Kurt nudged a little closer to Finn. They stared at the ceiling in companionable silence, their legs propped on the vanity bench. Finn put an arm around Kurt and the smaller boy nestled into his side, sighing contentedly.

"Thank you, Finn."

"For what?"

"I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard."

"Me too. And I know why – I think my face is paralyzed now," Finn observed moving his jaw gingerly. He looked down at Kurt cuddled into his side. "So you think you'll be able to pull off a sexy grin?"

Kurt sighed. "Nope. I'm still a penguin. But I don't feel so bad about it anymore."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I'm as much a penguin as you, bro."

"Actually, it is." Kurt smiled. "And you _really _need to work on your sexy faces."

Finn laughed lightly and Kurt pecked him on the cheek. Thus relaxed and reassured, he might actually survive the talk about 'mechanics' with his dad that he knew was coming. Ugh. Maybe when he was thirty.

* * *

So, this is it, guys:) Kurt's baby penguin line was too adorable not to put a Furt spin on it;) I hope you liked this and have a great weekend! And please review before you go:)

* Also, the line "the ninties were a blur..." is in homage to the one and only Chris Colfer, from his interview on Chelsea Lately (a wonderful interview but then again, aren't all with Chris?:).


	30. 2x16: What Doesn't Kill You

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Kurt and Finn aren't mine, and neither is Glee. It's all Ryan Murphy's. The lucky bastard. ;)

**A/N: **Well, um, after watching 'Original Song', it took me a day only to get my jaw back from the basement where it had fallen so sorry for this being late. After that I think I squeed and awwwed for another couple of hours, and grinning I am still. What I'm trying to say – this was such a fantastic episode, I don't even know where to start! Ok, maybe I do...

Now all we need is Kurt back at McKinley...which we now know for a fact will happen soon:) Chris lfet it slip during this week's Paley Fest Glee panel, which he apparently wasn't supposed to, btw. It was hilarious but he kept his cool and quipped with his usual wit, "Oh, like you didn't know!". LOL Counting down the days!

In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this bit of Furt:) Btw, it's the 30th chapter! Can you believe it? I know I can't! **It's all thanks to you guys - you've been keeping me going and you're all wonderful, wonderful people!**

_A special thanks to **Charliefox2012** and **DJ-DizzyD**, who began reading this story only this month, and read and reviewed like all the chapters in this time:) Wow. Thank you, guys!_

Spoilers for 'Original Song'.

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**What Doesn't Kill You...**

Kurt thanked Gaga and all fashion gods that the house was quiet when he came back from Dalton. Pavarotti's death and singing 'Blackbird' in front of the Warblers while having Blaine stare at him like he'd never seen him before was overwhelming and left him feeling like a jittery ball of emotions and grief. He didn't make it to any classes but bailed after the Warbler meeting and drove home.

Completely drenched of all energy, he didn't even bother to take his shoes off and just threw himself onto the couch in the living room with the intent of crying himself to sleep. It wasn't to be, however, because there was a muffled 'oomph' from somewhere under him and he jumped up in surprise. He whirred around almost giving himself whiplash to see Finn sticking his head from under the blanket from his place on the couch.

"Finn, what the hell!" Kurt exclaimed, his heart pounding. "You scared me!"

"Scared you?" Finn said incredulously as he slowly got up to a sitting position. "It's me who's been sat on!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Like that's never happened to you before."

Finn looked thoughtful for a while. "True, for some reason people tend to mistake me for furniture…"

"Maybe it's your expression. Or your uncanny talent to fall asleep in the strangest of places," Kurt quipped dryly.

"I don't fall asleep in strange places!" the taller boy protested.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "The tool shed, Finn?"

"I was hiding my Doritos from you and it was late and there was this old mattress there…one thing led to another…"

Even though he wasn't in the mood, Kurt felt the corners of his mouth go up. And he finally learned where Finn got all those Doritos from no matter how often Kurt threw them out.

"And the wardrobe, Finn?"

"It's a new house! I thought it was the door to the bathroom!"

"And when you realized it wasn't, you panicked and…fell asleep."

"It was really early and I thought I'd just get a wink more-"

"That was one hell of a _wink_, Finn," Kurt cut in."It took me _an hour_ to find you. And a locksmith to get you out. I didn't realize you could actually _lock yourself _in a wardrobe."

"Neither did I," Finn replied.

"Yes, we both learned a valuable life lesson that day," Kurt said wryly, his eyes roaming over the room and settling on the item lying on the coffee table. He took it and looked at Finn incredulously. "I think the hell's just frozen over. Finn Hudson, have you been using a _dictionary_?"

"No," Finn said quickly. Too quickly. Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "I…just needed something to prop my Xbox against."

Kurt raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Finn, if they gave out awards for the worst liar, you'd get the Oscar," he said with a shake of his head. "You know your Xbox isn't even here, right? Probably because it's hidden in a safe place," he added innocently. "And by safe I mean somewhere you'll never find it."

Finn's eyes flashed. "So it's you! I've been looking for it all afternoon!"

"Who else could it be?" Kurt answered unfazed by Finn's outburst. "I doubt my dad knows what an Xbox is, though the noise drives him nuts…Carole…well, she bought it, she could take it away any time…" he continued thoughtfully. "And me, don't even get me started. Ok, I agree, your doubts were justified."

"And so will be a punch you're getting if you don't give it back," Finn said in a warning tone.

"You know violence is nothing but a sign of weakness and helplessness?"

Finn shrugged, a lopsided smile playing on his lips. "I'm fine with that," he deadpanned. "As long as I get my Xbox back."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Sweet Gucci, you're worse than Rachel wanting a solo."

"Never mess with a teenager and his video games," Finn replied darkly.

"Fine. You'll get it back. One day," Kurt said throwing the dictionary he was still holding onto the table. A sheet of paper flew out of it and he picked it up, a curious frown on his face. "_Glee club is awesome, Glee club is fun, even if there are slushies to shun_," he read out and looked at his stepbrother incredulously. "Um, Finn? Am I supposed to start worrying about you?"

"You certainly may start pitying me," Finn said sourly taking the sheet from him, crumpling it into a ball and throwing it away.

"Long past that point," Kurt said wryly.

Finn shot him a wayward look. "I know it sucks," he said, dropping his head despondently.

"It's not that bad," Kurt tried in a comforting tone, seeing Finn was actually taking this to heart. "It's…well, it rhymes," he said weakly. "Whatever it's supposed to be," he added tentatively.

"It's for Glee," Finn explained with a frown. "Mr. Schue gave us these rhyming dictionaries and told us to try our hands at writing a song."

"The hell's frozen over _and_ is hosting the next winter Olympics," Kurt uttered, his tone full of disbelief. "You're writing a _song_? A song as in 'a composition with lyrics and music designed for singing' song?"

"Well, I'm _trying_," Finn huffed. "But this rhyming thing is kinda hard. And why are the letters in this dictionary thing so small?" he asked with growing frustration. "And who uses paper for this stuff when you have the Internet anyway?"

Kurt fought with the amused smile trying to sneak onto his lips as he watched Finn. "I guess Mr. Schue's just old-fashioned this way," he deadpanned. "And I'm starting to wonder if he isn't losing his touch. It's a week till Regionals and he's making you write songs instead of rehearse your playlist?"

Finn looked at him uncertainly. "Well, he didn't make us. We sorta made _him_. I probably shouldn't be telling you this and Rachel would totally kill me for it since you're the enemy and all now-" he stopped, meeting Kurt's half-amused, half-expectant gaze. "-but the songs we're writing _are_ for Regionals," he finished. "For our playlist."

Kurt blinked. "It's official. Mr. Schue's lost his mind," he said wryly, though there was genuine surprise in his voice. "I thought you wanted to win."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Finn huffed reproachfully.

Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry, Finn, but if 'Headband' is any indicator…"

"We're better now! And we're all writing, not only Rachel. Santana wrote this ballad of sorts for Sam and she sang it today, it's called 'Trouty Mouth' and-"

"Oh my Gaga," Kurt interrupted him, incredulity fighting with amusement on his face. "Poor Sam. I wish I'd seen that," he finished in a somewhat wistful tone.

"Yeah." Finn grinned. "Sam wasn't very happy about it. I wish you'd seen it, too. And we could really use your help," he added softly, his eyes dropping to his lap.

"Really? I doubt any of you even notice I'm not there anymore," Kurt said aiming for a casual tone, though there was an undercurrent of vulnerability and bitterness in his voice that made Finn aware that once again his brother wasn't letting on how much the last months had really affected him.

For all his flamboyance, sassiness and blatant conspicuity, Kurt didn't show much of what was _really_ inside of him to the outside world. He bottled it all up and while it showed how strong he was to be able to do that in the first place, it was also a big, painful burden and Finn could now see that hurt etched in the ocean-like depths of Kurt's eyes.

"This week's Glee reminded me of last year's Regionals, you know," he began and Kurt frowned a little, not understanding where this was going. "Even though it was crazy with Quinn and Vocal Adrenaline and everything, somehow it felt right back then," Finn continued. "The twelve of us together as one team. This year it's different," he looked at Kurt, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. He sighed. He was being a total sap and Kurt could tease him about it later but he was on a roll and had to let Kurt know what was on his heart and mind. "I know it's stupid because we live together and see each other every day and everything but I…miss you. McKinley's not the same without you. And neither is Glee."

Kurt took in a sharp breath, feeling new tears well up in his eyes. "Finn-"

The taller boy raised a hand to stop him. "Don't say anything. I know why you transferred and I'm glad you did because you're safe and happy at Dalton. And that's what really matters to me," he said earnestly. "It's just...I want you to know you matter, Kurt. A lot," he fumbled for words, twisting his hands in his lap. "Even if you make fun of my rhymes and take my Xbox away," he finished uncertainly, expecting a snide remark.

Instead, he found himself with an armful of crying Kurt.

"I…I'm sorry, buddy! Don't cry!" Finn uttered in a panicky voice. "This was supposed to make you feel better!"

Kurt moved away and wiped at his eyes. "I…it did, Finn. Thank you. And I'm sorry. It's not your fault, it's just…I'm a bit emotional today."

Finn couldn't help but gape slightly. _A bit?_

"What's wrong?" he asked, only now noticing Kurt wasn't wearing his Dalton uniform but was dressed in all black. And it was early for him to be back from Westerville. "Has something happened at Dalton?"

"No, nothing's happened." Kurt shook his head. "I just skipped classes."

"And finally shredded that awful uniform to pieces?" Finn asked hopefully. He hated those things almost as much as Kurt did. It made the smaller boy look so, well, _uniform _and colorless. Where Finn had always associated Kurt with a magnificent peacock, ever since he transferred, he looked more like a sparrow or pigeon. And that spark was gone from his eyes. Finn felt like Dalton was robbing him of a very important part of Kurt.

The smaller boy smiled sadly. "No, but it didn't feel right seeing that I've got a corpse in my room-"

"Ohmigod!" Finn exclaimed. "Did you finally kill that annoying old lady from next door who calls you 'little princess' and says I'm devil's spawn for being so tall?"

"No," Kurt said levelly. "Although she'll definitely be my first choice if I ever go serial killer."

"Good to know it's not me," Finn said with a grin.

"You're a close second," Kurt deadpanned.

Finn pouted. "Huh. I knew I had a special place in your heart."

Kurt let out the lightest of laughs and they stayed in silence for a while. Then Finn heard the smaller boy let out a strained sigh and smiled as Kurt propped his head against his shoulder.

"It's Pavarotti," Kurt finally admitted. "He had a stroke this morning," he added, his voice breaking again and his eyes tearing up.

Finn looked at him blankly.

"-which means he's _dead_, Finn," Kurt explained.

"Oh," the taller boy uttered in understanding, patting him on the head awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Kurt," he said earnestly. "You really cared about him, didn't you?"

"He was my friend," Kurt sniffled.

"Do you want me to make you some hot cocoa?" Finn offered. "Or sing to you? Or we can watch 'Beauty and the Beast'."

Kurt looked up at him, genuine surprise shining through the tears in his eyes. "But you don't like it."

"Well, it's no 'Fast And Furious'," Finn admitted as he smiled down at the smaller boy, still nestled into his side. "But it makes you smile. And the Beast's kinda cool."

"_You're_ kinda cool," Kurt said tearily. "And thank you," he added straightening up and getting his act back together. "But I think I'm going to have a nap now or I'm going to have huge bags under my eyes from all the crying. And later I've got a funeral to plan."

"Um...ok, buddy. But if you need anything, I'm here," Finn said as the smaller boy stood up. Wow, that black outfit was dramatic, even he had to notice that. And was that a small _skull_ on Kurt's lapel? Finn grinned – dramatic, expressive, perfected to the smallest detail. Pure Kurt.

He looked after him with affection as Kurt made his way to the stairs. He felt sorry for the late canary but his death seemed to be bringing out the old Kurt back – the one who didn't hold back his emotions and wasn't afraid to share them with the world through his clothes and words and behavior. The one who was _himself_.

As if feeling Finn's gaze on his back, Kurt turned on his heel on the first step.

"Oh, and Finn? Your Xbox is at the back of the wardrobe in our parents' room. Just don't slay too loudly."

Finn grinned. "Sleep well."

And surprisingly, Kurt did. When he woke up, he actually felt better. He reached for a glass of water but his hand froze in mid-air as his eyes focused on his nightstand. There was an elegant, plain box made of black wood lying next to his night lamp.

The card placed next to it read in Finn's messy handwriting: _For Pav._

Kurt took the box gingerly into his hands. The wood felt cool and smooth under his fingers and he took a while to inspect it thoroughly. It was perfect. Well, almost. He got out of his bed and got to work.

"So, you think it will do?" came from the door some time later.

Kurt looked up and smiled at his stepbrother.

"It's beautiful. Where did you get it?"

"Well, it used to be my treasure box when I was little but I don't use it anymore and I thought it could serve, you know, a good cause," Finn explained awkwardly. He frowned seeing the little workshop Kurt had laid out on his desk. "Dude, is that a _Bedazzler_? What are you doing?"

"Decorating," Kurt replied simply.

Finn raised an eyebrow at him but as he moved closer, he whistled softly. "That's actually really pretty, Kurt," he said. "For a casket," he added skeptically.

"A creature with such an effervescent nature deserves a bit of sparkle in his grave."

"I guess," Finn said unconvinced. Maybe it was because he wasn't sure what _effervescent _meant. He watched Kurt work on the box for a while. "So…need any help?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Thank you but I'm not letting you anywhere near a glue gun, Finn. I don't want to spend the afternoon ungluing you from a table or doorknob."

"I resent that!" Finn said with chagrin. "I've never glued myself to anything. Nailed, maybe," he admitted. "But never glued!"

"And let's keep it that way," Kurt said pointedly and put the glue gun down. "You know what? I'll finish this at Dalton tomorrow. As much fun as it would be to bond over casket trimming, I've got a better idea," he said with a smile, standing up. "You still up for some Disney?"

"Will there be cookies?"

"What is a Disney marathon without cookies?" Kurt answered, his smile getting wider. "And we can watch 'Happy Feet', too."

"Really? Cool!" Finn exclaimed excitedly but he quickly composed himself when Kurt raised a knowing eyebrow at him. "I mean, ok. Whatever," he said levelly with a shrug.

Kurt chuckled. "Finn, a thought. Never try a career in acting."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope this didn't fall short and I made you laugh - I had to tone down Finn's usual goofiness a little considering this is a chapter revolving around poor Pavarotti's death...Expect a follow-up soon since I really want to try my hand at Finn's reaction to The Kiss (too good an opportunity for Furt to miss!) but I figured Pav's death had such an impact on Kurt, it had to be addressed somehow. So this is going to be a two-shot of sorts - I hope that's ok with you and you liked this first part:) Don't forget to review to let me know!

Seeing we're facing a whole Glee-less month, if you have any Furt ideas you'd like to see come to life, don't hesitate to PM me. I've got a couple chapters drafted but the more Furt, the better;)

**PS.** I do realize there's a small inconsistency but it's deliberate – I refuse to acknowledge Kurt's surprise at Regionals that New Directions are singing original songs – I mean, it's Finn and they live together, how would Finn not tell Kurt about something this big before the competition? No way he wouldn't.


	31. 2x16: …Makes You a Loser Like Me

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **I'm just borrowing Kurt, Finn and Glee for my devious purposes but promise to return them safely when I'm done;)

**A/N: **First of all: WOW, guys! The response to the last chapter was incredible and I really can't thank you enough! You're all wonderful!

Also, a big thanks to the anon reviewer **CC**!

I can just hope this chapter doesn't fall short - there were a lot of expectfations concerning this one and I tried to take it all under consideration (probably that's why it's so freakishly long!) - but I'm still kinda riding on an 'Original Song' high…so if there are any inconsistencies or mistakes, blame it on Ryan Murphy for his amazing writing and Chris Colfer for his equally amazing acting and utter adorableness;) And now, without further ado, I give you part two:)

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**…Makes You A Loser Like Me**

The smell was mouth-watering. As Finn entered the Hudmel household, his senses were attacked by wafts of deliciously scented air that made his stomach grumble. Letting his backpack fall to the floor, he followed his nose into the kitchen. And gaped.

"Holy crap."

The counter had turned into a range made entirely of mountains of cookies – butter pecan, chocolate chip, oatmeal and other he couldn't even identify. Finn pinched himself. When the cookies didn't disappear, he looked around and tiptoed to the nearest plate. He quickly stuffed a couple into his mouth, looking over his shoulder to check if Kurt wasn't standing over him with a ladle or a can-opener or some other deadly instrument. The coast seemed to be clear, though and he returned to munching contentedly. Then he stopped suddenly. What if this was a trap? Like in that fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel? Or what if Kurt had laced them with laxative or something? Because this was just too good to be true. In a house where all food was organic and _healthy _and Kurt-approved, no way were there random cookies just lying around in heaps like that.

That didn't stop him for long, though. Figuring if they were poisonous he was dead already anyway, he shrugged and returned to eating. After a quarter of an hour he was almost unconscious from all the sugar and he decided to drag himself up to his room.

As he wandered upwards, it crossed his mind that there was something wrong with the house but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Then he opened the door to his room and stopped dead in his tracks. He made a step back to the corridor and looked around, making sure it was his room because he had definitely left a heap of semi-clean clothes on the floor (something he wasn't proud of but hey, he was in a hurry) and he had definitely not made his bed or put all his video games and comic books in neat rows…Jesus, were they _organized alphabetically_? Finn blinked, realizing what was going on.

Aliens had taken over the house. Or a group of nerds had kidnapped his family and made their house into their cookie-filled, alphabetically organized lair.

Finn gulped. _Easy, Hudson. Years of zombie killing and Mario Kart racing have prepared you for this._

He wasn't going down without a fight. With that thought in mind, he began to rummage through his stuff (when it was all so tidy, it was really difficult to find _anything!_ Damn those aliens!) for some kind of weapon. Half-way through his wardrobe, he heard a deafening crash coming from the backyard and froze. He crept up to the window and peered outside but he couldn't see a thing. Feeling like a stealthy ninja, he slowly made his way downstairs and into the backyard. He could hear the noise better now. It was coming from the tool shed. He grabbed whatever was within reach, which happened to be his mom's pink rubber boot, and holding it before him like a weapon, he made a couple more steps in the direction of the shed. If it was aliens or burglars, he could scare them off. And if it was nerds or the old creepy lady from next door…well, he was sure he could run faster.

"Show yourself! I-" he stuttered looking at the pink boot in dismay. "I'm armed!"

There was another loud crash and Finn let out a terrified yell, or two, as the door to the shed swung open and something stumbled out of it in a thick cloud of dust. As the linty powder subsided, a very flustered and dusty but nevertheless grinning Kurt was revealed to his eyes. Finn lowered the rubber boot with a sigh of relief.

His stepbrother was balancing a couple of boxes in his hands and Finn reached out to steady him before he fell on his face.

"Thanks," Kurt muttered putting the boxes on the ground. "That was some impressive shrieking," he added innocently but Finn could see the smirk playing on his stepbrother's lips.

The taller boy huffed indignantly. "I think you'll find it was more of a bellow."

"In a register that even I find impressive," Kurt deadpanned and quirked an eyebrow at him. "'_I'm armed'_', Finn? Really?" he asked prying the yellow rubber gloves he was wearing off his hands with a disgusted frown.

"I thought it was aliens or burglars…or worse – the old lady from next door!" Finn exclaimed defensively. "What the hell were _you_ doing in there?"

"I was just doing a bit of spring cleaning," Kurt explained with a shrug. The grin was still plastered to his face.

Finn blinked. "In the _tool shed_?"

"Yes," Kurt affirmed. "The mess was awful and there are spiders there big enough to own property!" he said with a disgusted shudder. Then he raised an eyebrow at Finn. "What were you planning to do with that god-awful boot if it _were_ burglars? Disgust them to death?" he asked in his usual snarky manner but there was something off. He was still grinning. Finn was starting to wonder if Kurt wasn't a pod person.

Still, the issue of his weapon had to be addressed so he tore his eyes away from the countertenor – or the grinning alien pretending to be him – and looked at the boot in his hand. He let it fall to the ground.

"Um, maybe? You know, as a digression or something."

"A _diversion_," Kurt corrected him automatically, trying to brush the dust off his clothes and hair. "A digression would be if you began quoting Plato at them, Finn."

"Ok," Finn said slowly. "Though it would be kinda hard to quote him." Kurt's eyebrows rose in confusion. "I mean," the taller boy continued. "I don't think Pluto could talk, Kurt."

The smaller boy shook his head and narrowed his eyes at him, trying to hide the grin fighting its way over to his lips. "Sometimes I wonder if you aren't doing this on purpose for comedy effect," he said.

Finn looked at him blankly. "Doing what?"

"At least you have your charming looks," Kurt said with a resigned sigh.

Finn shot him a wayward glance. If this was an alien, he was awfully good.

"Somehow I doubt that was a compliment."

"And you wouldn't be wrong," Kurt shot back.

Finn groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Why can't you just talk like normal people and stop confusing me?"

"I could," Kurt agreed unashamedly with an evil smile. "But where would be the fun in that?"

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "You know what would be _fun_? Locking you up in that shed with the spiders."

Kurt reciprocated Finn's scowl. "I'd like to see you try."

And with that Finn lunged at him but the smaller boy was expecting that and jumped away, quickly making his way to the house. Finn got to his feet and raced after him. A dent lock, broken lamp and lots of running and screaming later, they both fell to the couch in the living room laughing.

"How old are we again?" Kurt asked wryly, still trying to get his breath back.

"Apparently not old enough to be bothered by throwing our manly dignity and honor out the window," Finn quipped. He looked around the pristine room (well, except for the shards of the lamp in the corner), and was reminded of his earlier doubts. "So, _why_ exactly were you cleaning up the tool shed again?"

"It was messy," Kurt stated simply. "And I needed something to do."

"Right," Finn said slowly, his eyes getting wider as the manic grin came back onto Kurt's face. It was becoming really unsettling. "And Mount Cookie in the kitchen?"

"I felt like baking and couldn't decide which taste so I did them all," Kurt replied with a shrug. "And I also cleaned the whole house and organized all our books and DVDs in alphabetical order," he announced. Then he stood up and opened a window, taking in a deep breath. "Oh, isn't this just wonderful? You can already smell spring in the air!"

After getting over his initial bewilderment, since Kurt was changing topics a mile a minute and starting to babble like an overexcited squirrel, Finn shook his head. "Um, I'm pretty sure it's the neighbors cleaning up their compost bin…" he tried to explain but Kurt wasn't really listening.

"I think I'm going to plant some crocuses and daffodils in the front," Kurt announced happily. "And I'm going to clean the septic tank afterwards."

Finn stared at him. Normally Kurt wouldn't go anywhere _near_ the septic tank if his life depended on it. He was starting to get really scared for him. He may not be a pod person but he was apparently going insane. He had to stop him.

"Whoa there, buddy! Are you on…Red Bull or something?"

Kurt smiled at him. "Just endorphins, Finn," he replied dreamily.

Finn's eyes widened. "Are you on _drugs_, Kurt? I know Pav's death was hard on you but you shouldn't-"

"_Endorphin. _Not _morphine_," Kurt stressed, cutting him off. "It's a hormone your body produces when you're happy, Finn."

The wheels in Finn's head began turning. "So…you're happy? And it makes you clean stuff."

"Yup." Kurt nodded vigorously and turned on his heel. "Now where's the shovel-"

Finn grabbed him by the shoulder and eyed him suspiciously. "Why exactly are you happy, Kurt? Did Pav like, come back to life or something?"

Kurt grinned that manic smile again. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Um, sure," he said with a confused crease of his eyebrows.

The smaller boy gave him a searching look but Finn could see he was practically bursting at the seams in his eagerness to tell him. And then he did.

"Blaine kissed me."

Finn's hand fell from Kurt's shoulder to his side. "Oh," he mumbled. "I mean…wow. I mean, good for you," he stuttered.

"Stop with the wild enthusiasm already or I'm going to blush," Kurt said with an eye roll.

"I'm sorry, dude," Finn uttered apologetically. "Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you, I really am, it's just…" he voice trailed as he looked at his stepbrother. "_Is _it good? I mean, for you? You've been kinda pissed at him a lot lately and we all saw him kiss Rachel and-"

"Water under the bridge," Kurt said with a dismissive hand wave.

"You're going to San Francisco?" Finn asked tentatively.

Kurt blinked. "I'm not even going to try and understand the tortuous paths your mind wanders, Finn."

Finn just shrugged. Bridge+gay=San Fran, it seemed quite obvious to him. And had nothing to do with torture. He decided to let it go, though, because there was something more urgent on his mind.

"So…is Blaine like, your boyfriend now?"

Kurt beamed. "Yes."

"Damn," Finn said with feeling.

Kurt looked at him with a sinking heart. "I wasn't expecting a happy dance but you could at least try a bit harder to hide your disapproval and disgust here, Finn," he said sourly avoiding his stepbrother's eyes and fearing the old nightmares were returning.

Finn was the first person he was telling about Blaine and the kiss, and he had actually been looking forward to sharing his happiness with his stepbrother but now he felt like a complete idiot.

"I…what?" Finn said confused but as he took in the hurt expression in Kurt's eyes and the sudden slump to his shoulders, a realization hit him. He shook his head violently. "No, no, no!" he denied fiercely. "It's not that! I'm really, _really_ happy that you got the guy and you kissed and you can be gay together and all…" he tried to explain awkwardly.

Kurt crossed his hands on his chest, his lips a thin line. "But?"

Finn looked down as his fingers began twisting in his lap. "It's just, I kinda really like Blaine but now that you're dating him, it's my duty to hate him. And instill the fear of God in him."

Kurt suddenly felt the weight lift from his shoulders and he chuckled lightly. He really should give people a chance to actually _say_ what they had to say before jumping down their throats. Still, when it came to gay and Finn, he had a right to be somewhat touchy.

He took a better look at the earnest expression on his brother's face and it hit him how much he had been subconsciously counting on Finn's approval. He ground his teeth inwardly. Like Kurt Hummel needed anyone's approval for anything! Especially the approval of some goofy, formerly semi-homophobic, clueless jock! But no matter how many times he repeated that to himself, he knew he was just like everyone else – he wanted and strived for the approval of the people he loved – his dad's and now also Carole's and damn it, even Finn's.

He shook out of his reverie and gave Finn a disapproving look. "You will do no such thing. It's enough my dad will show him his fish gutting knife collection and threaten him bodily harm."

"Huh. You're probably right. But can I at least open the door in my Gaga shower curtain?"

"Sure. If you want Blaine to think you're insane…well, insane-_er_, then go ahead."

Finn pouted. "Blaine thinks I'm _insane_?"

"Finn, _your mom_ sometimes thinks you're insane."

The taller boy scowled, ignoring Kurt's comment. "I wonder where he got that idea from."

"Hey," Kurt began, inching away from him. "You've already broken a lamp."

"Me?" Finn said indignantly. "It was definitely a 'we' thing. Or a 'you' thing!"

Kurt sighed. "Fine. _We _broke the lamp."

Finn nodded in satisfaction. "So, does Blaine being your bf mean you get some pull in the Warblers? As in you'll do more than doo-wop?"

Kurt shot him a disapproving look but then his expression grew thoughtful. "Hmm, I guess it does mean that. Actually, I'm singing the opening duet with him at Regionals."

"Oh shit," Finn mumbled. "We're screwed. I mean, that's really great, buddy. Congrats."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Why the insecurity, Finn? I think you've got as good a chance as anyone at this. Ok, maybe not as good as we-" he said nonchalantly with a teasing glint in his eye. "But still. You're good. I _know_," he pressed seeing the skeptical look on Finn's face. "What about those original songs? How're they coming along?"

"Um, before I can tell you anything about our songs, Rachel made me promise I'd make you write and sign a-" his face scrunched up in concentration. "-a confidentiality clause," he enunciated. "In your own blood."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "She's also made you learn this sentence by heart, hasn't she?"

"She didn't make me!" Finn protested. Kurt gave him a knowing glance. "Ok, she did," he admitted.

The countertenor rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me? But really, I don't think there's much need for secrecy if your recent songs are any indicator," he said wryly. "_Are_ they, Finn?"

The boy sighed. "Well, it's gotten better than _Headband_," he said. "For one, we've got a theme and lyrics for our anthem, 'Loser Like Me'. But that's about it. No music, no choreography," he admitted despondently. "And we've got like four days left. So whatever we come up with, it's gonna be very last minute and choppy. It could really go both ways."

Kurt ruffled his hair lightly. "Finn, wasn't it you who said that we…I mean, New Directions," he corrected himself with a sour frown. "-are best when you're loose? You are. Go with it and you'll be fine."

Finn looked at Kurt in surprise. "You remembered that?"

"Well, of course I did," he concurred haughtily. "It was a smart thing coming out of your mouth. Doesn't happen very often."

"No one can ever boost my ego quite like you can," Finn replied with a chuckle. Then his face grew serious. "About that…I could really use your support. I know we're used to hostile crowds and we've all had our share of cats and fruit thrown at us…and you're on the opposite team…but it would kinda mean a lot to me to know you're there in the audience, cheering for me and having my back. Because we've done a lot of crazy, risky things but this is the worst. Or best."

"Finn, of course I will," Kurt said softly taking in Finn's distressed expression with a worried frown, and an idea popped into his head. It was cheesy and over-the-top but when Finn would see it at Regionals, he'd like it. He looked back to him. "I know I've been riding you about your original songs but in all honesty, I'm really impressed. And jealous. It takes a lot of talent and guts to do what you're planning to do."

"Really?" he asked in a small voice.

Kurt chuckled. "Really really. No one will ever call you gutless after that," he assured him wryly. "And if they do, I'll punch them in the face."

Finn let out a chuckle. "So you won't throw fruit at us?"

"I'll throw fruit all right," Kurt began and the other boy's face fell a little. "But at anyone who dares throw fruit at you."

"Thanks, man." He glanced at Kurt. "But about that cheering and all, you don't really have to do it." He raised his hand seeing Kurt was opening his mouth to say something. "_Listen_. I know you want to win this as much as I do…and I don't want to be selfish here. I've been way too many times, especially when it comes to you, so you know, I won't hold it against you even if you walk out or something," he said, uneasiness stealing over him as his eyes met Kurt's suddenly very glossy ones. He smiled at him timidly. "But I do wish you'd stay for our anthem. I wrote the second verse," he said proudly.

Kurt blinked away the tears, feeling his lips break into a smile. "Please tell me it doesn't start with _Glee club is awesome_…"

"No. No!" Finn exclaimed. "Mercedes and Tina helped me with the actual words and stuff so it's much better…and the sense is all mine."

"I'm starting to be scared here, Finn. Why can't you just tell me now?"

"Because it won't be the same. I want this to be a surprise."

And a surprise it was. Kurt couldn't help but tear up as he heard Finn's solo four days later at Regionals.

_Push me up against the locker  
And hey, all I do is shake it off  
I'll get you back when I'm your boss  
I'm not thinkin' 'bout you haters  
'Cause hey, I could be a superstar  
I'll see you when you wash my car_

Their eyes met when Finn sang the last line and the taller boy winked at him, giving him that lopsided smile of his. Kurt beamed, tears flowing freely down his face now. It was as if Finn had somehow, in that one precious moment, taken on Kurt's struggles as his own and wore them proudly for the whole world to see. And then there was a hand on his cheek, his _boyfriend's _hand, brushing away the tears and making him smile wider than he thought possible. Kurt Hummel was utterly happy. And it was all Blaine and Finn's fault.

The grin didn't leave him till the announcement of the winner, at which point he became utterly torn between his sense of failure and happiness for his friends. It wasn't long before Finn made his way to him and Blaine, guilt and uneasiness written all over his face, and Kurt couldn't help but smile again. Finn, on the other hand, avoided Kurt's gaze and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"So, uh…" he mumbled shoving his hands into his pockets.

Kurt just shook his head and threw his arms around the taller boy, hugging him tightly.

"Congratulations, big brother," he muttered. "You deserved this."

Getting over his initial shock, Finn returned the hug with double force. "I'm just sorry we couldn't both win like at Sectionals," he whispered. "You were so good out there. You made Puck cry."

Kurt moved away from him, the beginnings of a mischievous grin showing on his face. "Well, that's gotta count for something. Did you film it?" he asked matter-of-factly.

"No, but I think Lauren made a few sneak shots with her phone. Should be on fb any moment," Finn replied with a smile.

"Nice," Kurt said in appreciation and Finn turned to Blaine.

The Warbler tenor reached out his hand, "Congrats."

"Thanks," Finn said with a warm smile but then his face got serious like he remembered something and let Blaine's hand go. "You see me and those guys over there?"

"Um, yeah," Blaine began slowly, not sure where this was going.

"Finn-" Kurt began warningly.

"Well, we're not only good at singing," the taller boy continued not heeding Kurt's death glare. "We're also football players and we've won the championship. Which means we have some fierce tackling skills."

"Um, I know," Blaine said cautiously. "I was there."

"And Lauren is the state champion in wrestling," Finn continued pleasantly. "She throws people like they're tennis balls."

"Impressive."

"And Rachel can hit such high notes they'll make your eardrums explode. And Mercedes-"

"Finn," Kurt enunciated through gritted teeth.

The taller boy shrugged. "Hey, I'm not wearing my Gaga costume! And a brother's gotta do what a brother's gotta do," he said apologetically in Blaine's direction and the Warbler actually smiled at him. "And vague disclaimers accomplish nothing. So-" he turned back to Blaine. "-if you break his heart, we break all of you."

"Oh sweet mother of Gucci," Kurt said incredulously, a mixture of mortification and anger on his face. He turned to Blaine. "I hope you know we're in no way blood-related. No shared genes whatsoever. This is just a random guy who happens to live with me and will shortly die a _horrible painful death_," he stressed.

Finn gulped. Blaine chuckled lightly.

"Come on, Kurt," he said, looking at Finn teasingly. "Maiming, maybe. But death?"

Finn looked at him reproachfully. "That's not funny, dude. You get to walk and I have to live under the same roof with him. Don't give him ideas."

Blaine smiled and turned to his boyfriend. "Kurt, promise you won't hurt your adorable, overprotective brother."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "Define hurt."

Instead of defining, Blaine had a better idea as he leaned in and let his lips crash against his boyfriend's. Kurt melted into him instantly, Finn and the whole world forgotten. Anything that wasn't Blaine simply ceased to exist as fireworks exploded behind his closed eyelids and his heart threatened to jump out of his chest. When they broke apart for air, Kurt had problems remembering his name, let alone Finn's.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked pointedly, grinning at him.

"Ok," the countertenor replied meekly when he got his breath back. "No hurting."

Finn stared at Blaine. "Wow, it's like magic, dude. Could you make him leave my Doritos and Mountain Dew alone, too? And clean the upstairs bathroom?"

Kurt's beaming smile disappeared as his gaze shifted from Blaine to Finn. "Don't push it. I said I won't hurt _you_. That doesn't include your Xbox and your comic book collection."

Blaine chuckled at Finn's horrified expression when Wes and David waved at him from behind the stage.

"I gotta go. The High Council's calling," he said somewhat snarkily and placed a chaste kiss on Kurt's cheek. "Be nice," he whispered. "You too, Finn," he added pointedly. "And the warning was...interesting. I won't break Kurt's heart, I promise," he looked tenderly at his boyfriend. Then he turned back to Finn. "But I appreciate what you're doing. You're a cool brother."

Kurt looked after him and turned to Finn, folding his hands on his chest.

"Wipe that smirk off your face," he said dryly. "He was just being nice."

"Yeah. You could learn from him."

Kurt shot him a wayward glance. Undaunted by his expression, Finn beamed at him.

"It's kinda your win, too, you know," he ventured.

"How's that?"

"The way you cheered us on…it was amazing. And the foam hands – that was you, wasn't it?"

"I might have something to do with that," Kurt replied innocently.

"That was really cool, man."

"I know." Kurt shrugged with a modest smile. "But you really didn't need it. The lyrics, the music, Rachel…it was all great. And those were some pretty good dance moves, Finn. I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, I didn't trip over my own legs…or anybody else's. I consider it a success."

"And I liked your solo," Kurt added softly. "Did you really write it?"

"Not in so many words but yes. And I meant every word."

Kurt's eyes widened a little.

Finn ran a hand through his hair, gathering his thoughts. "I warned you I'm a total sap and you can call the sap police or whatever when I'm done but just so you know, even though I never got picked on or bullied the way you did…hell, sometimes it was me doing it, and to you, too! Just know that I'll never forgive myself for that, and feel really bad about that still…so this, it came from the heart. I wanted the world to know what you've been through and how amazingly brave and strong you've been about it. Because you deserve nothing but praise and admiration for-"

"Finn, please stop," Kurt cut him off.

"What?" he asked in alarm. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. But if you say one more word, I think I'm going to turn into a puddle of hysterically weeping, mushy goo."

Finn grinned. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Yes," Kurt affirmed and motioned at his tear-stained face, ruffled hair and his generally teary state. "Just look what you've done to me already," he said with mock reproach.

"Come on, you love me for it."

"I do," he admitted. "You cheesy bastard."

Finn laughed and pulled him in for another hug.

* * *

**A/N:** So, I hope I didn't give you toothache or diabetes but after a Glee-less week, I thought we could all use some adorableness;) Also, a funny thing – when I started writing this, it was snowing (!) and grey and dreary outside but as I'm looking out the window now, the sun's come out and the sky's blue:) I'll treat it as a sign of some higher power approving of Furt moments (you hear that, Ryan Murphy?).

I really hope I made you smile with this:) And you know what makes me smile? Your amazing reviews so please leave a note before you go!

**PS.** More Furt coming soon though for obvious reasons less episode-connected. For now. Urgh, over two more Glee-less weeks to go…but we'll make it!

* The lyrics in this chapter are of course from the song 'Loser Like Me' and they're obviously not mine.


	32. How Finn Blew Off Steam

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill, right? Not for lack of trying, but Kurt, Finn or Glee still aren't mine.

**A/N: **Holy mad cow, guys! The last chapter just about beat every record and all your wonderful reviews made me squee for hours! I love you all to the moon and back and more, thanks so much! Don't stop!

**A/N2: **My big apologies for this update being late but I came dofwn with an awful flu on Friday and this is the first day I'm able to drag myself out of bed enough to sit at my computer for a while so here you go.

After all the emotional, episode-based last couple of chapters, this is a totally random, over-the-top, crazy piece of randomness for you to enjoy during another Glee-less week... (urgh, have you heard? Glee's been moved a week and we'll get a new episode on the 19th:/)

My big thanks for inspiring this go to _ChuckNorrisLeftHand_:)

* * *

**How Finn Blew Off Steam**

"You have got to be kidding me," Kurt uttered incredulously gazing down the stairs.

It was early Saturday morning and he'd just stepped out of the bathroom with an intention of starting on breakfast for the family (he'd insisted Carole take a break on weekends and sleep off her night shifts) but stopped dead in his tracks on top of the stairs.

His jaw dropped as he stared at a huge, billowing cloud of steam that had completely obscured the corridor and the whole of the ground floor for that matter, and was currently moving up, almost reaching his feet.

A year ago, Kurt would have thought that he was simply still asleep or that he really needed to cut down on warm milk before bed because it was apparently making him hallucinate. But a year ago he didn't live under one roof with Finn Hudson. Who was, as he now remembered the angry banging on the bathroom door earlier, already awake. And in the kitchen. Kurt blanched.

**_Half an hour earlier…_**

Okay, so navigating around the new house was still kinda tricky. Finn found that out the hard way that particular morning, as he accidentally opened the wrong door and almost tumbled down the stairs into the basement. He was so sure this was the door to the downstairs bathroom! He pondered the possibility of doors and stairways moving spontaneously in the night like in the Harry Potter books but he dismissed the idea quickly with a shake of his head. It was ridiculous. Their house was obviously too small for that.

But he wished it had a Room of Requirement. Because right now he really needed a bathroom. He loved Kurt, he really did, but sometimes he just wanted to feed him to their crazy next-door neighbor because the amounts of time he took in the bathroom just weren't normal and with his mom usually taking the downstairs bathroom, Finn had found himself running frantically around the house and to the backyard on more than one morning.

And this morning he had to be ready and focused. He had a mission to accomplish and it demanded utmost concentration and full battle mode.

Having finally found the bathroom, he stepped out with a set expression and strode purposefully to the kitchen. He stopped on the threshold and eyed his nemesis warily. It was sitting on the counter near the window looking peaceful and innocent but Finn knew better. He looked around making sure everyone, that is Kurt, was nowhere in sight and made a tentative step forward.

He wasn't allowed near the coffee machine anymore. Not after the last incident. In all honesty, he still didn't get what the big deal was. Sure, putting coffee in the water container with the water wasn't standard procedure but hey, wouldn't it be quicker if coffee and water mixed straight away and then just went through the filter thingy? He thought it was worth a shot but Kurt was less than amused when he tasted the coffee and all but spurted it through his nose all over the kitchen. At least it was funny. Well, until Kurt almost killed him with a can opener and his mom banned him from the kitchen.

Finn felt underestimated. No one seemed to appreciate the courage and fortitude it had taken him to even get close to the machine. He'd been playing it cool but honestly, the machine scared the crap out of him. It looked more like a torture device than a home appliance and it made all those gurgling, grinding, explosion-like sounds that made Finn jump up in his seat and duck for cover (yes, he played too many video games, he knew), which was a source of great amusement for Kurt and their parents.

And Kurt, being Kurt, could make the machine do all sorts of fancy, froth-milk and ground-beans coffee. While Finn might not look it or act it or…ok, he just _wasn't_ ambitious, but this he couldn't let pass. One failed attempt wasn't enough to deter Finn Hudson, state football champion and MVP. It was just coffee, right? How hard could it be? He would impress Kurt and his mom and make them the best coffee they'd ever tasted.

With that in mind, he went over to the coffee maker.

**_The present__…_**

Kurt eyed the wall of steam at his feet critically. It was still going up and had no intention of dissipating. With a sigh, he went down a couple of steps but stopped halfway down the staircase, furrowing his eyebrows. He thought he heard something.

_*__chukka chukka chukka*_

Either there was a freight train parked on the lawn outside or something was about to explode in the kitchen. The vapor was quite thick so he couldn't actually see but the noise was definitely coming from there. Kurt stood and listened, his eyes growing wider.

_*__scwooosh burble gurgle*_

"Dammit!"

_*scwooosh__!*_

The voice was definitely his stepbrother's and the noise seemed oddly familiar. Like there was pressurized air coming through a pipe, just like in a-

_Oh my Gaga__,_ Kurt uttered, all color draining from his face as a realization hit him. _The espresso coffee machine._

The combination had the makings of a magnificent catastrophe, if the steam was any indicator, so without further ado, Kurt took a deep breath and made his way into the cloud of steam feeling like a heroic firefighter.

"Finn!" he called his stepbrother trying to make his way forward without tripping. "Where are you and what the hell have you done!"

"Kurt? Is that you?" came from somewhere to his right.

The countertenor suppressed an eye roll. "No, it's your other really pissed off brother!"

"Oh, in that case, could you go get Kurt?"

Kurt could almost hear the grin in his stepbrother's voice and if it wasn't for the steam getting in his eyes and ears and on his hair and clothes, he might have let himself be amused by Finn's growing skill in sarcasm. With the way things were, though…

"Of course," he replied pleasantly. "Right after I throttle you!"

"No need, the coffee machine's already on that! It's kinda hard to breathe in here!"

"Your observation skills are as keen as always, I see," Kurt remarked dryly groping his way towards Finn's voice. "What the hell did you _do_?"

"I just wanted to foam milk for the coffee!" came from somewhere to his right. "Like you always do!"

Kurt stifled an angry groan. "What coffee? And what were you doing within ten feet of the coffee maker in the first place?"

"Hey, I live here just as you do!" Finn exclaimed reproachfully. "If I want coffee, I can make me some!"

"Not if it involves turning the house into a swamp!" Kurt shot back through gritted teeth as he muddled through the sticky wetness that had settled on thef floor and the steam still getting into his eyes and mouth.

He finally got to the coffee maker and Finn. He blindly felt for the off button on the steam nozzle but the coffee maker wasn't going down without a fight, and Kurt gasped as it spurted steam almost straight into his face. Here went his meticulously applied base and the remains of his styled bangs.

"Open the window!" he ordered Finn as he tried to get his breathing back.

After some struggle, Finn managed to find the latch and soon they were able to breathe freely again as the steam wafted outside. Kurt fumbled with the coffee machine a while more until he finally managed to kill it. It let out a couple of mournful, steam-filled coughs and finally died with a final dismal whizz.

"Ha! Foam that!" Finn exclaimed in the direction of the machine aiming a karate move at it.

Putting his hands on his hips, Kurt turned on his heel to face his stepbrother with a death glare in place.

"Finn Hudson, just what part of 'stay away from the kitchen' don't you understand?"

"The part where I stay away!" Finn exclaimed with a pout. "I'm not some invalid, you know! I can make coffee!"

"As we've all just seen," Kurt cut in dryly folding his hands on his chest.

"That was an accident!" Finn said defensively. "There's something wrong with this machine! It just went all crazy on me like that! I mean, seriously, I barely touched it! You can't really argue it was my fault!" he finished in a tone that indicated he didn't really believe it himself. Neither did his stepbrother.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Actually, yes I can. Definitely," he said in a steely tone.

Finn let his head drop. "And, well, that would be a fair argument," he admitted contritely. "But that thing's vicious! I only jammed a couple of buttons and it got all 'chukka'!"

"You _jammed a couple of buttons_? Finn, I know you play contact sports and may be a little slow sometimes but really! After exploding spaghetti and the muffin debacle and your last coffee making adventures, I thought you'd learned-" he stopped seeing Finn quirk an eyebrow at him. He let out a resigned sigh. "Nah, I can't even pretend to act surprised. I just hope you haven't broken a five hundred dollar coffee maker."

Finn blanched. "You mean five hundred _American dollars_?"

Kurt felt his lips twitch at his stepbrother's utter mortification. "Or six hundred," he said casually, not being able to help himself from teasing him. "I can't remember anymore. My dad will, though. He paid for it."

"I'm dead," Finn uttered weakly and plopped onto a chair.

"Not necessarily," Kurt said keeping a straight face. "If he's in a good mood, he might settle for life-long slavery at the shop."

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"While it wouldn't hurt if you actually learned your lesson-" he stated airily. "-but contrary to common belief, I _don't_ enjoy seeing you suffer. Unless I'm the one doing it," he added with an innocent little smile and Finn shot him a reproachful glance.

Kurt shook his head and turned to the coffee maker. He reached for a screwdriver from the top shelf and unscrewed the protective outer shell. He looked the maker over expertly, tugging at some parts and unscrewing a couple of others. Finn came up to him and watched with curiosity, transfixed by his stepbrother's fingers' swift movements over the quite complicated insides of the machine. Finally the smaller boy straightened up holding a small tube of some sorts.

"The good news is it's not dead," he announced to Finn's deep sigh of relief. "But it will have to go for servicing," he added. "Somehow you've managed to completely clog the water flow valve _and_ screw up the thermoblock. The valve shouldn't be a problem to replace but the..." Kurt let his voice trail as his gaze met Finn's. "Why are you staring at me?"

"It's just…how do you _know_ this stuff, dude?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's not exactly rocket science, Finn. Especially since I grew up in a car shop. I can take a _car engine_ apart and put it back together," he said not without a hint of pride. "Coffee makers are nowhere near as complex so it's no big deal." Finn still stared at him. Kurt sighed. "Just because I'm gay and like Vogue and clothes, doesn't mean I'm not a boy, too."

"Cool," Finn grinned but the grin slid off his face under the weight of his stepbrother's withering stare. "I mean, of course you're a boy, I know that," he assured him hurriedly.

Kurt shot him a wayward glance, huffing loudly in annoyance.

"I'm so glad we agree on that," he said in a poisonously sweet voice. "Now go get the mop because you've got a lot of cleaning up to do," he ordered lifting his foot and causing his shoes to make a very pointed squelch.

Finn didn't make a move, though, and looked at Kurt with a thoughtful pout. "So…when you said you were an honorary girl…" he began with a confused expression.

Kurt rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "I meant just that."

"And that is?"

"Representing the girls' side because I get them better than any of you thick-skulled jocks?" he replied in irritation. "Honestly, Finn."

"Oh," the taller boy nodded, finally understanding. "I thought it meant a girl with, you know, lots of honor or something."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at Finn.

"I know people always say thinking's good for you but there are some exceptions, Finn," he said levelly. "Like now for example. If you do anymore of this thinking of yours, you might end up with my hands around your throat."

"You want to hug me?" Finn asked with a lopsided grin.

Kurt's lips twitched upwards despite his irritation. "You're really not as charming and funny as you think, you know."

"But I try," the other boy replied. Then he blinked, his eyes becoming wider. "Wait, you think I'm charming and funny?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Occasionally, maybe. When you're not acting insane or driving me crazy or wreaking havoc in our house, which is pretty much always so I guess that's a no after all."

Finn groaned. "Oh, come on! This was fun! In twenty years we'll remember this and laugh our heads off."

"Yes, it will definitely take me at least twenty years to laugh at this," the countertenor replied wryly, looking around the messy kitchen, with his hand wandering to his damaged hair, which was sticking to his head. "Because this was definitely the most fun I've ever had." Finn brightened up at that. "Without having any actual fun," Kurt added.

The taller boy didn't heed Kurt's sarcasm and continued. "And you risked your life to save me from the evil coffee maker! I won't forget this. Thanks, Kurt. I love you, man."

The smaller boy tried to keep a straight face. "Yes, I totally saved you from the evil clutches of the Coffee Overlord. You owe me big time."

"You won't make me clean all the bathrooms again, will you?" Finn asked with alarm.

Kurt shook his head. He could do that but Finn was looking at him with those puppy eyes and he couldn't get on with it. "I really can't wait for the day when you discover irony. I think the gods will weep and it will rain Mountain Dew."

"Hey, it would be so cool if it started to rain Mountain Dew!"

Kurt just shook his head. "Let's go to Starbucks before dad and Carole wake up," he said in a resigned tone. "Maybe we can somehow bribe them with Cinnamon Dolce Latte to not kill us for this."

Finn's face lit up. "Yeah! Starbucks coffee!"

"Don't look so happy," Kurt said, his lips twitching upwards. "You're paying."

Finn scowled at him. "That 'I love you'? I totally take it back."

Kurt found himself grinning. "No, you don't."

* * *

I really hope this didn't fall short and I made you laugh but if it didn't, please excuse me, I was writing this with a high fever:/ I just really didn't want to make you wait any longer...

Please review, guys!


	33. How Kurt Learned to Never Say Never

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Finn and Kurt still refuse to be mine. I refuse to give up. Ryan Murphy doesn't refuse to anything. He's just a lucky, talented bastard;)

**A/N: **I'm sorry for not getting back personally to all you wonderful reviewers for the last chapter! I really wanted to, I love PMing with you all, but another bout of fever hit me and then getting back on track with work and classes ate up like all my time and energy:/ I'm still working on my backlog but I didn't want to make you wait any longer – I think I bent the time-space continuum trying to fit in the writing but I did it and here it is:) I hope you'll like it!

_Thank you so much for all the reviews, favs and alerts, guys! You're amazing and you really keep me going, you wonderful, wonderful people!_

* * *

**How Kurt Learned To**** Never Say Never**

It was high. Like thirty feet high. Still, Finn leaned over the handrail and looked down wistfully, actually considering this option for a moment. He couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the alternative. He leaned a bit further.

Then he felt his stepbrother's hand on his shoulder and the next thing he knew he was being turned away from the handrail. Kurt arched an eyebrow at him and Finn sighed dramatically. The escalator was moving further up and he felt his anxiety going up with it. Kurt patted him on the chest consolingly.

"I promise to go easy on you," he vowed but Finn could spot the smirk playing on his lips. "We'll limit ourselves to only four different stores, maybe five. Three hours tops," he continued as Finn's eyes grew wider. "And we'll probably have to combine that with a new pair of shoes, and…"

Finn gulped. That thirty feet jump was starting to look better and better.

**XxXxXxX**

"Finn, don't even try giving me that face," Kurt stated in a tone that brooked no resistance. "It didn't work the last dozen times, what makes you think it's going to work now?"

"Because this time I'm using fists if you don't budge."

"Ah, the violence threat part," Kurt said amused. "Not going to work, either."

Finn scowled and re-adjusted his hold on the ten plus bags he was carrying. "How about the 'I'm going to throw all this away if you don't give me a break' part?"

Kurt shrugged gracefully. "I can't wait to watch you explain to my dad how you dumped several hundred dollars worth of shopping."

Finn's face fell a little but he stood his ground. "Which _you_ bought!"

"For _you_!" Kurt shot back.

"But I don't want any of it!" the taller boy whined. "I have perfectly good clothes!"

Kurt scoffed. "What you wear can hardly be called _clothes_, let alone 'perfectly good'," he said and was met with the famous Hudson pout.

"You're mean."

"No, Finn, this is actually me being nice," the smaller boy objected. "If I wanted to be mean, I'd say your clothes make you look like a color-blind Alaskan lumberjack who's lost all contact with civilization a decade ago and it wasn't of his own choice."

"Hey, I'm not color-blind! Or Alaskan! I'm rugged and manly!"

"Finn, looking like you've slept in your clothes doesn't make you look _manly_," Kurt stressed. "It makes you look _homeless_."

"But Puck said-"

"Never start a sentence with 'Puck said'," Kurt cut him off. "At least not if you want to finish it and still have me in the same room," he deadpanned and shot Finn a curious look. "That said, since when are you taking fashion tips from a sex-addicted football player with a juvie record?"

"Fashion tips?" Finn sputtered. "We were just talking about what chicks dig."

"And you ended up with _flannel_?" Kurt looked at him incredulously. "When they were handing out creativity, you weren't even standing in the line, were you?" he said wryly.

"No. I was in the line for charm and kindness, which you obviously skipped," Finn retorted with a huff.

The smaller boy laughed. "A zinger from Mr. Hudson! I never thought I'd live to witness that."

"Oh, shut up," Finn mumbled dropping his head but Kurt could see he was quite happy with himself and Kurt's appreciation. "It's your fault. You're a bad influence."

Kurt found himself grinning. "In that case, may I also be a bad influence on your quite unsettling attachment to flannel shirts?" Finn scowled. "I can burn them if it helps," Kurt added helpfully.

Finn shook his head. "You're not letting this go, are you?" he asked in resignation, a glance in Kurt's direction all the answer he needed. "Ok, fine," he sighed. "Maybe team flannel's not so cool and maybe I should change it up a bit," he admitted.

"Oh my Gaga," Kurt said, putting a hand on his heart mockingly. "Can I have this on paper?"

"Don't push it," Finn said warningly. "That doesn't mean I'm wearing a tie to school. Or that tight wooly thing."

"I guess the tie is negotiable. I don't think I can change your clothing _that_ drastically," Kurt conceded tiredly. "And I wouldn't want people to walk by and not recognize you," he added wryly. "But that _'tight wooly thing'_ ? It's a cashmere cardigan and you're definitely wearing it tomorrow with the dark-wash jeans and leather belt we bought and -what?"

"You're really enjoying yourself too much, you know."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Usually when shopping I am," he admitted putting his hands on his hips. "But you've added a whole new dimension to it. It's been _so much fun_ listening to you whine like a ten-year-old for the last two hours, almost physically forcing you to try anything on _and_ chasing after you from three stores-"

"The assistants were scary! And so were the clothes!" Finn exclaimed defensively. "And it was totally two stores not three!"

Kurt crossed his arms and looked at him skeptically. Finn dropped his gaze.

"That third one...it was a quick strut because I got hungry and wanted to get something to eat."

"So _that's_ why I found you cowering behind a table at the food court," Kurt said wryly.

"I dropped the change!"

The countertenor sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Finn, I just hope you remember my advice about never _ever_ playing poker."

Finn gave him that lopsided smile of his and Kurt knew they were in for another of those crazy ridiculous digressions he never knew what to make of, apart from the fact that they never failed to crack him up.

"And if my life depended on it?" Finn asked.

"Then you should just shoot yourself straight away," Kurt deadpanned.

"Or make you play for me and threaten to _shoot you_ if you don't."

Kurt's eyebrows shot up. "Another snarky reply. I think that's a third one today. I'm actually impressed. Are you taking lessons, Finn Hudson?" he asked jokingly.

"Mercedes has nothing to do with it," the taller boy said quickly and Kurt gave him a curious look. "In case you were wondering," he added avoiding his gaze.

"I wasn't. Tell her to work on bluffing next, though," Kurt said, obviously amused.

"Ok," Finn nodded knowing full well he'd stepped into it already and there was no denying it. He sighed. Mercedes was going to make him do laps again. Or threaten to take him to her dad's dental clinic for a cavity examination. He had no idea what that was but it sounded scary enough.

Kurt just shook his head, making a mental note to have a chat with Mercedes as soon as they were back. It was enough she'd spoiled his clean streak of wins in rock-paper-scissors by enlightening Finn you could change what you chose in each turn. A sarcastic Finn would be a disaster. And the boy just didn't have it in him. He was too much of a goofy, good-natured optimist for that. The fact that he'd even try to do something so against his nature because of him made Kurt feel guilty.

"Finn, am I too hard on you?" he asked tentatively. "Because if you feel like I'm getting too snippy or sarcastic with you, just tell me and I'll shut up. And if I don't, you can bash me over the head. I don't want you to be uncomfortable or think you have to _train_ to talk to me."

"No, it's not like that, Kurt!" Finn assured him hurriedly. "I know that's just how you roll and I don't take it personally. Well, most of the time," he added wryly. "It's just…I feel like I'm missing out on something good when I don't get your jokes and stuff."

Kurt shook his head. "You're not missing out on anything, believe me. I'm just a rambling, snappish teenager with a tendency to talk too much."

Finn knew Kurt was trying to make light of all this but he knew his stepbrother well enough to detect a far more serious undertone to his voice.

"No, you're not," he said softly and Kurt felt a wave of affection for him as he looked at his earnest expression. "Apart from the talking too much part," he added with a grin.

"Well, I can't be perfect," Kurt said with a good-natured huff and Finn chuckled.

"And modest, apparently," he quipped. Then he nudged the brunet in the side. "And stop with the guilt trip right now or I _will_ bash you over the head."

Kurt looked at him in surprise and Finn gave him a satisfied smirk.

"Yeah, I know you that well, dude."

"I don't know if I should be moved or scared by that."

"Probably both," Finn replied with an innocent smile.

Kurt chuckled and hooked his hand through the other boy's arm. For a clueless, goofy football player, Finn sure always knew just the right thing to say to him.

"Come on. We're not done yet, Captain Snark," he ordered and was met with his stepbrother's martyred groan. He paid no attention to it. "We've only covered trousers, sweaters and jackets. We have to get shoes and I promised Carole to get you new shirts that don't have 'polo' in their description. I can't agree more."

"What's wrong with polo shirts?" Finn asked reproachfully.

"Apart from the fact that they're polo shirts?"

Finn groaned. "I don't get what your deal is. They're comfy and good with everything. You should try it."

Kurt paled and Finn looked at him in alarm. "Dude, easy. You look like you're going to hyper…hypo…breathe really fast and faint."

"Then don't suggest that I wear crude, badly cut, polyester garments ever again," Kurt gasped getting his breathing under control.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Whatever, man. All I'm saying is that I don't try to change how you look and-"

"You really want me to faint, don't you?" Kurt cut him off.

"-so you should give me and my polos a break, too," he finished, crossing his arms. His gaze wandered and caught a familiar label to his right. Finally. "Speaking of which, there's a Hollister right there."

Kurt stared him down silently for a while (Finn had no idea how he did that considering he was like, five inches shorter than him).

"Finn, never in this life are my feet crossing the threshold of Hollister's…and before you think of it, don't even try saying American Eagle."

Finn was really tempted to say it just to spite Kurt but taking a glance at him, he thought better of it and decided not to poke the lion. He thought that was the right expression. He wasn't sure but lions looked like they would be dangerous to poke. He resorted to a pout, which Kurt took as agreement on his side.

"And now – shoes," he ordered and dragged Finn ahead.

Soon he was sitting him down at a really posh looking and intimidating boutique, the name of which Finn didn't even try to pronounce. He watched Kurt dive in between the shelves and come back in a couple of minutes with several different shoes in hands. Finn cringed as he got a better look at them.

"Are these…men's shoes?" he asked tentatively as the smaller boy set the shoes on the ground for him to try on.

Kurt gave him one of those 'I can't believe you're my family' looks and put his hands on his hips.

"These are Ferragamo loafers, Finn," he enunciated. "An absolute classic in men's casual footwear. Comfortable, always in style and basically gorgeous," he said looking at the shoes with worship. Then he looked up at Finn, his eyes hardening. "So start trying on now."

Finn eyed the shoes skeptically. "But…where are the laces and everything? And why are there these funny things on top?"

Kurt resisted the urge to pull his hair. "Is this personal and you want to piss me off really bad or are you trying for the world record in whining?"

Finn decided it was best not to answer that one and started on the first pair with a resigned grunt. Actually, they were quite comfortable even though he still thought they looked a bit strange. When he moved to the second pair, he realized Kurt was being unusually quiet. He looked up and saw his stepbrother was throwing curious glances at a woman seated not far from them. She had more than a dozen various shoes laid out around her and the assistant was hopping around her helplessly. The pained expression on her face told Finn she was on the verge of tears. He glanced at his stepbrother, who looked from the girl to him. There was an excited spark in his eye and the first signs of a smile on his lips.

"Oh no," the taller boy groaned knowing full well what that look meant. And he didn't like it.

Last time it was an old lady at the grocery store, whom Kurt had converted to eco-cooking or something. Before that it was Mr. Schue at the GAP. Kurt had effectively terrorized him out of buying another set of vests. The time before that…Finn didn't remember anymore apart from the fact that it had gotten them banned from Walgreens for a month. It was like Kurt had this calling, like a superhero or something…if superheroes were teen gay boys who saved people from their wardrobes, cosmetics and eating habits. It usually didn't go well with the staff, though, and meant another no-go store in Lima.

So yeah, Finn really didn't like that look on Kurt's face. Even if he secretly thought it was pretty cool the way adults always listened to Kurt and did what he told them. And he was glad Kurt used his powers for the forces of good. Well, most of the time he did.

"I have to, Finn," Kurt said pleadingly, turning big, watery blue eyes on him. He even stooped so low as to start batting eyelashes at him.

Finn sighed. _Nope, never will be able to say no to that._

"You know we have to be back home like _today_, right?"

"This will only take a couple of minutes."

"In Kurt-time or real time?" he asked. "Because your couple of minutes usually means I can sit back and watch half of the game or eat my whole breakfast before it passes."

Kurt just rolled his eyes and went over to the damsel in distress. Finn shook his head and watched from a safe distance, the loafers forgotten.

"I'd ditch the ankle straps and go with pumps," Kurt remarked kindly coming up to the girl.

"You think?" she looked at him hopefully.

Kurt smiled at her charmingly. "Definitely."

"Finally someone with an opinion!" the girl said relieved, shooting the shopping assistant a meaningful glance. Then she turned back to Kurt. "This is a nightmare," she admitted helplessly. "I'm going on a first date today and am so wound up I can't decide on _anything_." She looked at him curiously. "So, why pumps?"

"It's a first date so you want to make an impression," he said matter-of-factly and the woman nodded. "So a low cut front and high heels are a must. Also, it's quite warm and sunny so I'd even risk peep toes. Classy, sexy and they compliment long legs such as yours perfectly."

"Thank you." The woman beamed at him and stretched her hand out. "I'm Susan, by the way."

He took her hand. "I'm Kurt."

"Nice to meet you, Kurt. I think you've just saved my life. Definitely my sanity. You're officially my hero."

"My pleasure." He chuckled and took two different shoes from the floor. He motioned at one. "As I was saying, the pumps will make-"

The shop assistant cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, kid, but this lady is being taken care of and I hardly think you know the first thing about _women's shoes_ and-"

Susan glared at him. "Don't interrupt Kurt! You're no help at all and he knows more about shoes than _you_ do!"

The assistant narrowed his eyes at Kurt but the teen gave him a wide-eyed look of pure innocence and turned back to the girl.

Finn looked on and gaped. He couldn't get over the fact that the woman didn't ask Kurt who the hell he was or tell him to get lost or something but instead listened intently to him, drinking in his every word. The shop assistant looked more and more sour by the minute but neither heeded. Finn had no idea how Kurt did it but when he wanted to, he could wrap any adult around his little finger effortlessly. Finn would bet he could just stroll into the teacher's lounge any time and start carrying stuff out and no one would even bat an eyelid.

Finn tuned back in to the conversation just as Kurt was saying something about kittens. Finn had no idea what cats had to do with shoes but the woman seemed to get him and she nodded enthusiastically. Finn noticed the shop assistant had gotten quite red in the face and was looking at Kurt like he wanted to throttle him.

"Actually, I think I saw a pair you'd love at Nine West," Kurt dropped casually but Finn could swear he noticed an evil glint in his eyes as he glanced at the assistant. He didn't have to wait long.

"Ok, that's it!" the assistant exclaimed. "Please leave."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "Not before I talk to your manager."

The man goggled at him for a while, obviously not expecting an attitude. "Leave or I will have to call the mall police, kid."

Finn gulped. This was not good. So not good. He could see Kurt's eyes flare with irritation and knew what was coming.

"You work on sales commission, right?" Kurt asked innocently.

"I don't see how-"

"_Which_ basically means you don't have this lady's best interests in mind as long as you make a sell, sending her off with some second rate pair you've got gathering dust in the back store. And that's all I see here – last season meager models."

"I'm making the call," the assistant blanched and went over to the phone on the counter.

"That better be a call to your manager!"

"You don't move," the man ordered Kurt coldly and started dialing.

Kurt felt a heavy arm on his shoulder.

"I think it's high time we left, dude," Finn muttered.

"And I think you're making a very valid point," Kurt replied.

"For once I wish you wouldn't argue and agree with me!" Finn whispered angrily but did a double take as Kurt arched an eyebrow at him. "Um, and I've realized you just did so I'm gonna shut up now."

"Finally," Kurt said with an eye roll and turned to Susan. "So, you all set?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Kurt. Nine West, was it?"

"Yes. And remember what I told you."

"Kurt," Finn urged him, shooting wary glances at the exit.

"I'm going. Have a great date," he told Susan and let himself be dragged away.

"Hey!" the assistant shouted after them, putting the phone down and moving around the counter.

"Run!" Finn muttered and Kurt didn't need to be told twice.

They didn't get more than a couple of steps away, though, when Finn grabbed Kurt's arm and ground to a halt seeing two mall cops looming in front of them.

"It's them!" came from behind. The assistant was close behind, flailing his hands frantically.

Finn looked around for a way out. Then he grabbed Kurt, almost throwing the both of them sideways into the nearest shop.

"Finn, what the hell!" Kurt hissed as the other boy pulled him down behind a clothes rack. "Are you completely out of your mind?"

He tried to stand up but Finn pulled him down again.

"I'm not going to prison, dude!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Finn, these are _mall cops_ and we didn't do anything wrong. The worst they can do is detain us and call our parents, which as embarrassing as it is, would be harmless and-"

"-get us a year of detention and chore duty till we'll thirty."

Kurt sighed. "Ok. You've got a point. So, what's your plan, oh Agent Bourne?"

Finn peeked his head over the rack. "They're here. We've got to disguise ourselves."

Kurt blinked. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"Hey, you got us into this so the least you can do is stop complaining and work with me!"

Kurt didn't get a chance to roll his eyes or put in a retort as a shirt landed in his face. He pulled it off and gulped, realizing where they were. _Hollister's._ He didn't have the time to be properly mortified, though, as he had to catch a tee, a pair of sunglasses and a hat flying his way.

"Will you stop throwing second-rate, hideous clothing at me?" he hissed in an angered whisper.

"Put it on," Finn ordered.

Kurt eyed the clothes with disgust. "You know, on second thought, I think I'd rather be detained and scrub the bathroom till retirement."

Finn wasn't listening, though, busy with throwing a shirt on. Kurt watched in horror as he went on to put a straw hat and pink sunglasses on.

"Way to be inconspicuous," Kurt muttered, trying to hold back a guffaw at the sight of the other boy's 'disguise'.

"Hey, it's the Hollister's! I'm blending in," Finn informed him conspiratorially.

"With whom? The hippies? Florida pensioners?"

"Dude, put these on like _now_!" He motioned at the stuff Kurt was holding. "They're coming our way!"

Kurt crinkled his nose and shook his head. Undeniably adorable as it was, Finn felt like bashing him over the head. He clenched his teeth in a silent cry of panicky exasperation.

"Kurt, goddammit, it's just a stupid shirt! It won't kill you to wear it!"

Kurt turned the garment over and looked at the tag, eyebrow arched. "With the amount of Chinese polyester it contains, I'm not so sure about that."

"Gah! You're insufferable!"

Kurt shrugged modestly. "I try."

"Shh, they're coming! Pretend you're a mannequin!" he ordered and froze in a ridiculous pose.

Kurt blinked at Finn. The taller boy looked positively constipated and Kurt had to muster all his willpower to stop himself from bursting out laughing. The other boy mouthed 'Now!' and Kurt raised his eyes to the ceiling, wondering how was it that Finn always managed to rope him into the most improbable, crazy things. He put the stuff on nevertheless, wondering if he could do this on one breath and with his eyes closed. They both stood still and waited silently.

After what seemed like a small eternity to Kurt, Finn nudged him in the side.

"Ok, the coast is clear. They're gone."

Kurt let out a breath and opened his eyes to meet Finn's amused stare.

"I told you you should totally try wearing polo shirts!" he exclaimed happily.

Kurt blanched and looked into the nearest mirror.

"Oh. My. God," he uttered seeing himself sporting a garishly blue pineapple-patterned hideousness.

Before he could get it off, Finn, still wearing the straw hat and the glasses and looking positively ridiculous, put a shoulder around him.

"Say cheese," he said wryly and snapped them a photo with his phone.

Kurt let out an undignified screech and pushed him away. He couldn't get the shirt off fast enough.

"Finn Hudson, if you as much as save this photo, I swear on my tiara collection, it will be the last thing you'll do in this life."

"And it will be worth it," Finn grinned taking off the glasses and the hat and slowly backing away from Kurt.

"Finn," Kurt said through gritted teeth advancing on him. "I'm not joking. I will do unspeakable things to you."

"You'll have to catch me first," Finn sniggered and grabbed their shopping bags, which he'd discarded behind another shopping rack during their hiding. Then he turned on his heel and basically ran off.

Kurt blinked as he watched him disappear. He most definitely _wasn't_ chasing his labrador of a brother around the mall. He had far more refined methods of revenge. He was a serious, dignified adult person. Well, a dignified adult person who'd caused a small riot, escaped mall cops and worn a _pineapple-patterned shirt _in the span of one hour. Oh what the hell. His dignity and honor were in the trash anyways.

He launched after Finn.

* * *

So, here you go, my dear Gleeks, Kurt and Finn shopping – sort of;) I've gotten quite a few requests from you about this particular premise and I hope I've lived up to your expectations and you like what I've come up with:)

Reviews are the cherry on top, the topping on a pizza, the dip to nachos…gosh, I'm making myself hungry, lol.


	34. 2x17: Of Taffy and Easter Eggs

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, nothing.

**A/N: **YOU GUYS ARE TOO MUCH. Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, I adore you all and I'm sorry this took so long!

**A/N2: **In wait for Tuesday's mega-super-awesome episode, I give you some Furt fun b/c as expected, there was none in 'Night'...Also, and I hope I'm not spoiling this for anyone (though it's hard not to know about that one), I've got five words: 'Kurt Hummel's back at McKinley [bit$$es]!' FINALLY!

Oh, and some minor spoilers for 'A Night of Neglect'.

* * *

**Of Taffy and**** Easter Eggs**

"Kurt, I'm dying."

Finn's pained voice coming from the door made the countertenor look up from his homework in the other boy's direction.

"Again?" he said arching an eyebrow.

Finn put his hands around his stomach and stumbled across the room to Kurt's immaculately made bed. He unceremoniously flopped face down on it, burrowing his face in the pillow and groaning.

"You're making that," Kurt informed him and was met with a particularly disgruntled groan. "Finn, I can't understand you when you've got your mouth full of my pillow."

Finn raised his head a little and shot him a reproachful glance. "I'm dying and all you care about are your sheets?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and put his pen down.

"You brought it on yourself, Finn Hudson," he said crossing his hands. "I told you a _dozen_ times that eating two pounds of salt-water taffy at once is _not_ a good idea."

"In hindsight, I think you're right," Finn said thoughtfully still holding his stomach. "But what was I supposed to do?" he asked reproachfully. "I couldn't let all this good candy go to waste! When Mr. Ryerson stepped in and offered to pay for our trip to Nationals, we were left with what we didn't get to sell. Which is like, all of it. Which is like a gazillion or something."

Kurt arched an eyebrow at him. "And you had to take it all home and eat it."

Finn huffed. "_Good candy_, Kurt," he enunciated as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"And I didn't take _all_ of it," the taller boy added defensively. "Puck took some, too. And Sam. And-"

"Yes, I get the point. You all took some home," Kurt cut him off. "But I somehow doubt anyone apart from you actually _ate_ it all by themselves."

"My mom doesn't like it, Burt can't eat sweets and you went all hyper-...hypo-," he fumbled for the right word but finally gave up. "You started breathing really fast and then you gave me the 'it's not organic _and_ do you know what it will do to my hips' speech so I had to eat it by myself."

Kurt strove to keep a straight face. Finn's way of reasoning would never cease to amaze him. "Yes, in such circumstances you obviously _had_ to. You had no other choice. What was I thinking?"

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "Why do I get the feeling you're making fun of me?"

"That would be because I am," Kurt replied with a smirk. "I think you're spidey sense is getting better."

Finn blinked. "Did you just make a comic book reference?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I knew you'd be a Spider-Man guy!" Finn exclaimed happily.

"I most certainly am not," Kurt denied outraged. "It's a pretty well-known pop culture reference and there's a musical on Broadway so I obviously had to get interested-"

"You don't have to explain yourself, dude," Finn said wryly. "It's really cool that you like comic books, man."

"But I don't!" Kurt denied feeling color rise in his face.

"Ok, suit yourself," Finn replied with a shrug and gave him a knowing, very much infuriating grin. "And I've totally never ever seen that Wolverine action figure you keep under your bed with your shiny magazines and stuff," he said levelly.

"What- How did you- Why-" Kurt sputtered. After the third attempt he gave up and resorted to a vicious scowl, grade three. "I hate you," he mumbled.

Finn chuckled. "I know. I hate you, too, bro."

Kurt sighed. "You're insufferable. And you're still in my bed."

"Well, my stomach still hurts," Finn replied with a shrug without even the slightest intent of moving.

"And we're back to square one. _It's your own fault_," Kurt enunciated. "Why do I feel like I'm in _Groundhog Day_ half of the time you're here?" he asked wryly with a shake of his head. "Now out!"

"But Kuuuurrrt! It really hurts!"

"Finn, you know whining won't get you anywhere," Kurt said dryly. "Wall, apart from _out of this room,_" he added wryly.

"I'm not whining!" Finn exclaimed indignantly but knew his innocent face didn't work on his stepbrother by the measured look he gave him. Hey, it was worth a shot. "Ok, maybe a little," he admitted. "But I really need your help."

"Why do I get the feeling I won't like this?"

"It's nothing big. I just…you know…you're so great at it and I could really use it right now," Finn fumbled for words.

Kurt sighed because his stepbrother was once again doing one of those incredibly vague statements that left him bewildered and totally guessing what he meant.

"I am not ironing your shirts again," he stated categorically.

"No, it's not that. I've decided they look better un-ironed anyways," he said with a shrug. Kurt blinked because there was no universe where that made sense. "I really need a belly rub, Kurt."

The smaller boy sighed. "Finn, do you see this here?" he motioned at his desk laden with worksheets and books. "This is called _homework_." he enunciated. "Lots and lots of homework. And I'm doing it right now. I realize it may be a completely foreign concept for you but I go to a school where you can't feign migraine and get off math for two years."

"Oh, you mean like Puck?" Finn asked with a smile. "Well, just another reason for you to go back to McKinley."

Kurt's expression hardened. Ever since Regionals Finn had gotten into his head that if he pestered him long enough about it, Kurt would go back to McKinley. It was sweet the other boy missed him that much and wanted him back and Kurt was honestly touched. Well, the first ten times Finn did that he was. After that, he just became increasingly annoyed.

"Finn, we've been through this so many times and you still keep bringing this up," he said aiming for calm but ending up more than a little - surprise, surprise - annoyed. "Do you _like it_ when I'm annoyed with you?"

"Well, it does give my life that thrilling spark," Finn deadpanned. Then the grin fell off his face, replaced by a thoughtful and very much determined look. "Seriously, dude, you can't blame me for wanting you back at McKinley. We miss you so much. It's where you _belong. _It's like your destiny or something."

Kurt gave him a long look, feeling tears gather in the corners of his eyes. Finn had no idea just _how much_ he longed with every fiber of his mind and body to be back at McKinley, however crazy it sounded to want to be back at a place where you were tormented, bullied and discriminated against. But it was so much more. It was where he'd faced and come to terms with who he was for the first time. Where he could spread his wings and be himself. Where his individuality was never smothered or put in the back row. It was home. It was where the magic was. Even if it was with a hint of early morning madness.

But it wasn't that simple.

Kurt had learned life never was. Especially his.

"I'm sorry, Finn," he said dropping his head. "I can't blame you for that but every time you say it, it just makes me feel _worse_. I miss you all, too, but I've got Blaine now. And there's Karofsky. Not to mention the tuition money our parents had paid. Instead of going on their _honeymoon_."

Finn nodded slowly. "I didn't want you to feel bad, dude. I was just, you know, trying to convince you that there's still something there for you at McKinley. And I don't want you to forget us."

"Oh, Finn," Kurt said softly, not trusting his voice to say anything more. "How could I ever forget you?" he asked after a moment when he was more or less composed.

"Well, I don't mean me _me_," Finn explained awkwardly. "Because we like, live together and stuff so it would be kinda hard but-" he let his voice trail and shrugged awkwardly.

"I know what you mean, Finn," Kurt said with a light chuckle.

He stood up and came up to the taller boy, noting how nervously he was twisting his hands in his lap and avoiding his gaze. Kurt put a hand on his shoulder and Finn finally looked up at him.

"As for you, even if you were a continent away, I could _never_ forget you, Finn," he stressed. Then he smiled wryly. "I think my sap-o-metre has just reached critical level and I'll die of sap poisoning," he sighed self-deprecatingly. "The things you make me do, Finn Hudson."

"It's impressive, I know," the other boy said wryly. "I consider it my super power."

With a teary smile and still shaking his head, Kurt put his arms around him. The other boy stiffened in surprise for a second but then reciprocated the hug with bone-crushing strength, burying his face in Kurt's shoulder.

"So, if there was a way, would you want to be back, Kurt?" he asked earnestly in a whisper as if he was afraid of his stepbrother's answer.

Kurt chuckled lightly through the tears as he clung to the other boy. He didn't have the strength to deny this any longer. Not when it came to Finn. "There's nothing I want more," he admitted softly.

Kurt could feel the other boy grin against his shoulder. "Then we'll find a way."

Just like that. _We'll find a way_. Even though Kurt didn't have the wildest idea how Finn, of all people, would find a way, somehow the certainty and determination in his stepbrother's voice made him feel better, and hopeful even. Because Finn might be a goofy, silly football player who thought the Cold War had taken place in Alaska, but if you had him in your corner, there was nothing you couldn't do.

Kurt smiled a big, genuine smile that only Blaine seemed to be able to coerce out of him these days. And Finn, apparently.

"Ouch," Finn muttered pulling away, his face scrunched up. He looked at Kurt. "Um, since you're already here-" he began pleadingly. "I'll even clean up my own room, dude, just put me out of my misery."

Kurt gave him a good-natured huff.

"There just isn't a thing you wouldn't do for a belly rub, is there?"

"Is this one of those rhythmical questions?"

"Rhetorical," Kurt corrected but he knew his resolve was melting because Finn was giving him one of those pleading puppy looks he could swear his stepbrother must practice in front of the mirror.

"Ok, lay down."

In his eagerness to do so, Finn almost toppled off the bed, and Kurt rolled his eyes. Still, he couldn't get the grin off his face. He got his hands to work and the taller boy purred like an overgrown cat. Somehow Kurt got the feeling Finn's stomach had stopped hurting quite a while ago. After some twenty minutes when Kurt was almost positive Finn had dozen off, he stopped. The taller boy's eyes snapped open immediately.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because my hands are numb and if your stomach still hurts after twenty minutes of this, you should see a surgeon."

Finn rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Actually, it doesn't hurt anymore. Thanks, man. You should totally get the Belly Rub of the Year Award."

Kurt's eyes widened. "Please tell me you've just made that up."

"No, I didn't! There is such an award!" Finn said. "I've seen it on TV. There's a party and red carpets and everything."

"One more reason why this country will never cease to amaze me," Kurt muttered incredulously.

Finn just grinned at him but then the grin slid off his lips.

Kurt knew that look. He sighed. "What is it now, Finn? Just no more McKinley campaigning for today, ok?"

"Ok. And it's not that," the taller boy said. "I know you've got homework and stuff but you know it's like, Easter, right?"

Kurt nodded slowly, not sure he knew or liked where this was going. "Yes, I got the memo."

"There was a memo?" Finn asked with a frown but one look at his stepbrother made him smile. "Oh. Irony. Right," he muttered and Kurt chuckled in amusement. "Anyways. I always dye eggs with my mom and it's cool and kinda fun and stuff and I thought this year, um, we could like, do it together?" he finished sheepishly.

Kurt gave him a measured look.

"How could I say no to such an eloquent plea?" he said but the barb in his voice was gone. He was in fact looking forward to Easter preparations and dying the eggs was one of his favorite parts. He was actually going to ask Finn to help but he was still pondering if the kitchen would survive. But now that the other boy had asked him, he knew he didn't really care that much as long as he got to spend some brotherly time with Finn. He groaned inwardly. God, he was _really_ turning into a sap. Finn was rubbing off of him way too much. Strangely enough, he found he didn't mind that much. As long as he didn't start considering flannel a viable clothing option or calling people 'dude', it wasn't this bad.

"Is that a yes?" Finn asked uncertainly, breaking Kurt's train of thought.

"Yes, it is, Finn."

"Cool!" the other boy exclaimed and in his enthusiasm almost tumbled off the bed. Kurt sighed, knowing he was going to regret this.

"You go downstairs and I'll get ready."

"Get ready?" Finn asked incredulously. "Dude, we're going to the kitchen to paint eggs not to an award show."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Precisely."

Finn just shrugged, resigning himself to the thought that he would never ever get Kurt's obsession with clothes and cleanliness.

"The dyes are in the leftmost cupboard," Kurt instructed. "Just don't touch the eggs," he added warningly. "They're ecological and cost a fortune."

"Hey, I can totally deal with a couple of eggs!"

"Finn you're the most awkward of the awkward people that were ever awkward," Kurt enunciated as Finn scowled. "I'm not letting you anywhere _near_ eggs unless they're boiled hard."

"I guess you do have a point," the taller boy conceded. "So, where are those dyes again?"

Finn managed to find and even get the various dyes going in a couple of bowls. He was quite proud of himself and was just putting it all out on the table when he heard footsteps and looked up at Kurt coming in. He stared. The smaller boy was wearing something resembling a doctor's smock, gloves and these were totally those cool protective glasses they used on Myth Busters. He arched an eyebrow.

"Um, are you constructing a nuclear bomb afterwards or something?"

"This is my usual egg-dying protective outfit, Finn," Kurt said with an aloof huff. "So that the dye, which is _really hard to get off_, doesn't get on my Dolce jeans and McQueen shirt."

Finn scratched his head. "Wouldn't it just be easier to wear some old Target tee and stuff so you don't have to worry about getting yourself dirty?"

"Just because one is doing household chores doesn't excuse one from being chic and fashionable," Kurt said deprecatingly with a pout. "Besides, I don't own 'Target tees and stuff'."

Finn shook his head. "Still, you looked good in Hollister," he replied teasingly.

Kurt shot him a wayward look. "Do I have to smack you over the head or can I just glare?"

"Since you're giving me a choice...I think I'll go with just glare."

Kurt shook his head and went over to the fridge to get the eggs. To their amazement, Finn had managed to make the dyes properly and it wasn't long before the eggs were boiled and they were sitting companionably at the table working on them. Finn watched in awe as Kurt produced lots and lots of fancy ribbons, stickers, sequins and other things he couldn't name and made those eggs into little works of art. Finn resorted to making them colorful and one he did into his trademark Easter bunny.

"I know it's not really pretty or anything, especially with all those super-fancy ones you've got going," Finn said showing the bunny-egg to Kurt. "So if you don't want to put it on the table or anything and just throw it away, I totally get it."

Kurt looked at him and took the egg with an unreadable expression. One ear fell off. Kurt smiled and looked at Finn.

"It's perfect," he said softly.

"It...is?" Finn stuttered incredulously.

"Of course, Finn. It's the heart and intent you put into it that matters," he assured him and Finn beamed. "The bunny's taking the prime spot in the middle of the Easter table," he decided.

"Thanks, Kurt," he mumbled, once again amazed at how his stebrother was able to make him feel better and always get his self-esteem up through the simplest things.

He reached out to take the egg from him but he soon found out he'd been sitting bad and his leg was totally dead so when he tried to stand on it, he lost his balance and stumbled forward onto the table. With his luck, he knocked at least two half-full bowls of dye in the process. Straight onto Kurt. He gulped.

The smaller boy let out an unmanly shriek he would later deny as he jumped away from the table. Too late. He was already dripping red and blue dye, which had penetrated his smock and he felt it sink into his jeans and shirt.

He ground his teeth.

"Um," Finn uttered trying not to panic under Kurt's death glare. "Good you had that protective stuff on, right?"

Kurt started advancing on him and Finn stumbled backwards in the direction of the door to the backyard. He had a chance of surviving if he got through that door.

"Apparently it wasn't designed with you in mind," Kurt continued in a very much menacing tone. "I should have worn a bio-hazard suit," he said taking a couple of eggs into his hands.

Finn eyed him suspiciously. "Those are boiled, right?"

"No," Kurt replied pleasantly.

Finn's eyes widened. Kurt wasn't the best throw but the distance between them was small and he was relatively sure even Kurt could do it. "Think about it, dude," he tried placatingly. "You'll make one hell of a mess-"

"You mean bigger than the one _you've_ already made?" the smaller boy said in a creepily calm voice.

"Um. Comparable," Finn stuttered inching backwards. "And these eggs, they're eco-friendly and very expensive, you said yourself. I'm sure you don't want to-"

An egg swished near his ear and splattered on the door behind him. "Ok, I guess you do," he mumbled. "I'll pay you back?" he tried in an act of final desperation. Just then he reached the door, jumping through it as another egg missed him by an inch.

"With your blood!" Kurt growled and launched after him.

* * *

That's it for now, I hope you liked this:) Please leave a review before you go, I'll love you to the moon and back;)

Also, to everyone who celebrates, Happy Easter, guys!


	35. 2x18: The Broken Lamp and the Red Fedora

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **No, Glee's not mine. Ryan Murphy proved once again this week why it is and should always be his;)

**A/N: **Hey guys! Allow me a moment to squeal with joy at the complete and utter awesomeness of 'Born This Way' *squeals until her roommate looks at her funny wondering if she shouldn't call somebody* Ok, now that that's out of my system – there were so many great Kurt and Furt moments in 'BTW' that I couldn't decide on just one to base this chapter on so this will have a couple in it. Enjoy:)

Spoilers for 'Born This Way', of course.

* * *

**The Broken Lamp and The Red Fedora**

Kurt didn't play video games but he was pretty sure it didn't usually involve smashing things or loud thumping, both of which he could now clearly hear coming from Finn's room. For a moment he considered the possibility that his stepbrother might be actually cleaning his room but he dismissed the idea faster than he could say 'Lady Gaga'. It was Finn Hudson. He didn't clean up unless Kurt came to his room and threatened his life. Which, after a particularly loud bang, the countertenor considered doing even if Finn's room turned out squeaky clean.

He sighed dramatically and decided to investigate before his dimwit of a brother seriously hurt himself.

The door to Finn's room was ajar, which explained why the noise was so loud in his own room. Kurt peered inside. And gaped. He had witnessed a lot of strange and disturbing things in his life but seeing Finn stand in the middle of the room flailing his arms and kicking his legs out in the most uncoordinated manner he had ever seen in a human being probably took the cake.

Incredulous, astounded and quite a bit scared, he leaned against the door jamb and watched Finn go at it without noticing him. When the bed lamp got mutilated, though, he decided he'd seen quite enough.

"_What_, in the name of all that is holy and Prada, are you doing?" he asked stepping inside.

Finn whirred around so fast that he almost hit himself with his own hand.

"Oh, Kurt. Hi," he mumbled, putting his hands in his jeans pockets and giving him his innocent face.

"Don't 'hi' me, Finn Hudson," Kurt said sternly, crossing his hands. "Is there a reason why you're destroying your room? If you wanted to change the décor, you could have just asked me."

"I'm not destroying the room!" Finn said defensively.

The smaller boy quirked an eyebrow at him. "Your bed lamp…and armchair-," he added looking around the room. "-beg to differ."

"Oh, that," Finn said quickly and went over to shove the broken shards of the lamp shade under the bed with his foot. "It was an accident."

"More likely a tornado," Kurt quipped giving Finn's room another incredulous once-over. It was positively thrashed. More than usually, that is. He sighed as he watched Finn hide the last remains of the lamp. "Do you really think it will just magically disappear if you put it under the bed?"

"Usually the stuff I put there does," the taller boy said scratching the back of his head. "I'm still looking for a couple of dirty plates I put there last week."

Amusement and exasperation mixed in Kurt's expression as he tried to keep a straight face. "I think they might have finally gotten furry, sprouted legs and marched off into the sunset," he deadpanned.

Finn's head snapped up. "You can't even _see_ the sunset from my window!"

This time Kurt didn't even try keeping a straight face. "Really? No sunset. _That's_ your problem with this."

Finn shrugged. "What else would it be?"

Kurt just shook his head. "Right. I forgot common sense should be left at the door to your room," he said wryly. Then he put his hands on his hips. "So. Are you going to tell me why I'm here discussing walking tableware with you instead of relaxing with the newest Vogue and _Chicago _soundtrack in my room?"

"Um, well, I-"

"Think twice before you answer," Kurt put in pleasantly. "Your life may depend on it."

The taller boy looked at him uneasily and sighed. "After I broke Rachel's nose-"

"You decided breaking your room next was the way to go?"

"I might just decide breaking _your nose_ next is the way if you don't stop interrupting," Finn said warningly.

Kurt gasped, his hand flying protectively to his nose. Finn chuckled at his mortified expression.

"This is not funny, Finn Hudson. This-" he motioned at his face. "-is far too fabulous to be exposed to even the threat of disfigurement."

Finn shook his head. "Have you ever heard of modesty, Kurt?"

The countertenor shrugged, readjusting his bangs. "I've heard of it."

"Right," Finn said slowly, his eyebrows drawing together in amusement. "I wish I had your confidence," he sighed and plopped down on the bed. "Especially for what I'm planning to do."

Kurt's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden change of topic. He walked over to his stepbrother and sat gingerly on the very edge of his bed.

"What is it exactly you're planning to do that you need so much confidence for, Finn?" he asked suspiciously. "Take up karate? Sing in high F? Kill the old lady from next door?" He huffed when all he got was silence. "What is it, Finn? I'm starting to get worried here."

The taller boy took in a deep breath. "I want to do a dance number for our 'Born This Way' assignment," he announced.

Kurt blinked. So not what he'd been expecting. Worse. "Ok. I think I'd rather you _were_ planning to kill our neighbor," he said, not entirely joking. "Or even sing high."

"Ok, I'm bad. I know. You don't need to rub it in," Finn grumbled.

Kurt gave him a long, meaningful look. "I think I do. You _broke Rachel's nose_, Finn. And what you were doing just now looked like you were having a seizure. Do you _really_ think more dancing's the best thing to do?"

The taller boy sighed. "Maybe it isn't," he admitted, his shoulders slumping. "I know I'm a terrible dancer and especially after hurting Rachel, I really hate this about myself. But this is who I am. I was _born this way_. And that's why I think I should own up to this…disability in this week's assignment."

Kurt nodded slowly. Surprisingly, there was a lot of sense in Finn's reasoning. "Well, when you put it like that...and I guess your complete lack of movement coordination does qualify as a serious disability," he agreed with a sigh. "Do you have a song to go with that?"

"That's the thing. I was meaning to ask you to help me out here. I know what I want to sing _in_ the song but I have no idea if there is such a song or how to find it," he explained. "And you're like human iTunes so um, will you help me?"

Kurt's face broke into a soft smile. "Flattery will get you everywhere," he quipped. "So, what do you want the song to be about? Because I doubt I know any numbers about the trials and tribulations of the dancing-challenged."

"It's not about dancing," Finn clarified. "I just…want to say that I'm me, you know?" he said in a subdued voice, hands twisting in his lap. "Wasps and all."

"Warts, Finn."

"Yeah, warts," Finn nodded absent-mindedly and looked at Kurt. "Cause I haven't been feeling that much Finn Hudson-y lately."

"_Finn Hudson-y?_" Kurt repeated, half-confused, half-amused. He shook his head. However strange or frustrating, no conversation with his stepbrother was _ever_ boring.

"Yeah," Finn confirmed. "Like I don't know what I want anymore. Like for myself," he explained. "I'm Quinn's boyfriend so I've gotta want to be prom king, I'm the Glee captain so I've gotta want to win Nationals, I'm the football captain so I have to be the MVP." He looked at Kurt, who was listening to him with an unreadable expression on his face. "Don't get me wrong, I do want all those things. Well, maybe not the prom thing but don't tell Quinn," he admitted. "But I feel like everything I do and want is decided outside of me…like I don't have anything that's mine anymore."

"You've got your zombies," Kurt put in wryly and the other boy shot him a sideways glance. "And me," he added with a sigh.

"You're no better than Rach or Quinn," Finn said gruffly.

"That is a very mean thing to say, Finn Hudson."

"But it doesn't make it any less true. You redecorate my room, you pick my clothes for me-"

"Well, I _try_ to. But you put up an impressive fight every time," Kurt said with a pout. "And I hate to burst your bubble but I'm doing it for me not for you, Finn," he continued wryly. "Looking at flannel too long makes my eyes hurt."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Thanks, dude. That was really helpful," he said bitterly.

"Finn-"

"Let's just…not talk."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Right now or ever again?"

Finn huffed. "Just…both."

"Ok." The countertenor nodded. "But in case you change your mind, I've got the perfect song for you."

Finn crossed his hands. "Don't care."

Kurt sighed. "Ok, I'm sorry. Flannel's not so bad." He winced. "On you. Sometimes. When it's dark."

Finn continued to stubbornly stare ahead and the smaller boy groaned in exasperation.

"You're really going to make me do a full-on apology here, aren't you?"

"Yup," Finn confirmed giving him a scowl. "The least you can do for mocking my intestinal problems."

Kurt blinked. "Do you mean internal or did I just completely misunderstand our conversation and you were talking about indigestion all this time?"

A pillow hit him straight in the face. "The former, I guess," he said wryly putting the projectile away and stepping over to Finn's laptop. "You want an apology?" he asked as he started to type. "I'll do you one better," he announced and pressed play triumphantly.

Finn pretended he wasn't listening but as the song went on and he listened to the lyrics, he felt his lips turn upwards. Kurt watched him and knew his grin must equal his brother's but didn't really care.

"You like it?" he asked when the song ended. "I know it's not exactly in your wheelhouse-"

Finn sprang up from the bed and almost knocked Kurt over in his enthusiasm.

"Dude, it's awesome! Like that guy's singing about me!" he exclaimed. "So you _were_ listening to what I said," he added, pleasant surprise in his tone.

"Every word, Finn," Kurt assured him seriously. "And I know what it's like to feel like you have no control over your life," he added softly, his head dropping a little.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Finn uttered. "I didn't want to-"

Kurt waved a hand at him. "You didn't. It's ok," he said in a slightly thick voice. "Now, do you want to go over the lyrics and notes?"

The taller boy sighed. Kurt could always act like things, really painful things, just rolled off his back even though Finn knew how deeply he took it all to heart. He wished Kurt wouldn't be so damn brave and strong all the time and just allowed himself a moment of weakness from time to time. Still, if he didn't want to, Finn wouldn't force him.

He smiled. "Sure."

Kurt nodded, a grateful look in his eyes, and played the song again. Finn started moving to the music, well tried to, and kicked his desk so hard that he knocked over the pencil cup and the lamp. Kurt reached out, catching the latter in the last moment but the pencils all fell to the floor. The brunet stared Finn down with a level gaze.

"I actually like this house, Finn, and would like to live in it for a couple more years," he said. "So you dancing? Not happening here," he stated categorically. "Call Mike. And try to convince him you'll come over to his place. Maybe he'll go for it. If not, it's the backyard for you, lamp-smasher."

"But it's cold!" Finn whined.

"Wear a beanie."

**XxXxXxX**

Finn frowned hearing muttered curses coming from the direction of his stepbrother's room. He knew better than to venture there on a normal basis but this called for some kind of intervention because it pretty much sounded like Kurt was tearing down walls in there. He swallowed a couple popcorn kernels from the bowl he was holding and tiptoed to Kurt's door. His jaw fell as he stared at the most awesome spectator sport ever that was Kurt Hummel in fashion frenzy.

Awed, he took in the mayhem in the normally squeaky clean and tidy room (he sometimes wondered if Kurt really was a boy because there was no way any boy could keep their room this clean all the time). There were piles and piles of clothes strewing every surface, be it vertical or horizontal, and in the middle of that was his stepbrother, a frantic look on his face as he dug through his massive wardrobe.

"Dude, I know you're happy about being back at McKinley but did you really have to thrash your room?"

Kurt turned around and shot him a withering look. "Look who's talking," he shot back. "And I'm not _thrashing _anything. I'm looking for an outfit for the Barbra-vention tomorrow."

Finn furrowed his eyebrows. "Babra-what?"

"Puck thinks we have to do something extreme to convince Rachel to give up the nose job," Kurt explained. "I agree. So we're having a flash mob at the mall to Duck Sauce's _Barbra Streisand_."

Finn nodded, finally understanding. "Oh. Cool."

"I was just going to send out word to the club," Kurt said. "As soon as I find something to wear," he added, giving his clothes a scowl.

"Dude, you've got like a _mountain_ of things to wear in here," Finn said coming closer and examining the pile closest to him.

Kurt shot him a sideways glance. "If you don't have anything helpful to say, zip it, Finn. And if you get any of that popcorn on anything, there will be blood."

The taller boy shrugged and propped himself against Kurt's armchair. He knew better than to come between his brother and his wardrobe so he resorted to munching on the popcorn (carefully) and watching Kurt with badly concealed amusement until something caught his eye. He put the popcorn bowl away and reached out for the garishly red fedora perched on top of one of the piles. He put it on and looked in the mirror.

"I didn't think I'd ever say that but maybe you should just stick to flannel," Kurt said wryly coming to stand behind him and putting his hands on his hips.

"How about you wear it?" Finn asked taking the hat off and perching it on his brother's head. "It looks pretty cool."

Kurt made no move to take the hat off even though Finn knew it messed his hair. Instead, he watched the smaller boy cock the fedora a bit to the side and style it with a couple of swift moves, checking his reflection in the mirror every time. When he was finally satisfied, he turned to Finn.

"Not exactly what I had in mind-"

"You actually _had_ something in mind?" Finn asked incredulously, gesturing at the piles of clothes.

Sighing, Kurt leaned himself against the armchair next to Finn. The taller boy retrieved his bowl of popcorn and offered some to Kurt. Surprisingly, the smaller boy accepted and nibbled on a couple of kernels.

They munched in silence for a while, staring at the multicolor chaos around them.

"I think you should go with red," Finn said finally. "It's always been your color."

**XxXxXxX**

They both plopped down onto the couch, exhausted but happy. _Born This Way_ went fantastic and it was one hell of a way to end this crazy week. Their arms touching, they sat in a comfortable silence for a long while, just relishing the moment and each other's company. Kurt was the first to break the silence.

"Well, this was a long week," he remarked.

"It was the best week of my life," Finn replied.

Kurt smiled at him.

"I think it even beats the one when the Titans won the championship and I got the MVP," the taller boy continued enthusiastically.

"You can never do wrong with Gaga as an assignment. And with what's been going on in Glee, I guess we all needed a lesson on self-acceptance," Kurt agreed. "Mr. Schue seems to be getting his mojo back."

Finn chuckled. Then his face grew slightly more serious. "Gaga and the self-love lesson was cool but that's not what I meant," he said softly.

Kurt turned his head to the side to look at him. "It…isn't?" he said in surprise.

"Of course not, dude!" Finn exclaimed. "It's _you_. You coming back has totally made this week like the best ever."

Kurt felt his cheeks turn a shade darker. "Thanks, Finn."

"No," the taller boy countered and Kurt looked at him in confusion.

"No?"

"No as in, you don't get to thank me, man. It's _me_ who should be thanking _you_," Finn said, meeting Kurt's gaze. The smaller boy was looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.

Finn sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. He was never good at expressing his feelings but this time he had to focus and get this right because Kurt wasn't just another dude or high school buddy. He was his friend and brother, one of the most important people in his life and Finn was practically bursting at the seams with the joy of having his brother back where he belonged. He wanted to tell him that but the happiness wasn't without a sour note of guilt when he remembered why Kurt had to leave in the first place. Finn knew he hadn't been the greatest guy, his reputation more important to him than sticking up for Kurt because he just wasn't self-confident enough to risk it, but…he pulled the other boy close to him and kissed his temple, holding him tightly.

"I'm so, so sorry, Kurt," he whispered. "I shouldn't have let any of this happen. I should have protected you. But this time will be different. It will be better. I won't let anyone, _anyone_, lay as much as a dirty look on you."

To Finn's relief, Kurt made no move to move away from his embrace and they just stayed like that for a while until Finn felt the other boy was shaking. He didn't know if Kurt was laughing or crying but at least he wasn't pulling away so that had to be good.

"So, _I_ want to thank _you_, Kurt," he continued. "I know it wasn't easy and even though Karofsky's all nice now and all, McKinley still isn't Dalton. You've been through a lot here but you still decided we're worth another shot and it means the world, man. I won't let you down. Plus, with you on board, we might actually have a shot at Nationals. So thanks, Kurt. You're really awesome."

Kurt pulled away, wiping at the tears in the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand.

"You know, for a person who mistakes 'internal' with 'intestinal', you sure can be pretty eloquent when you put your mind to it," he said in a wry manner, which was, however, completely offset by his wide smile.

"You know I like, understood about half of what you just said?" Finn grinned at him.

Kurt shook his head. "I think you understood enough."

Finn's grin widened. Then he moved away a bit and gave the other boy a scrutinizing look. His expression brightened.

"And you're totally wearing flannel, dude!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "And you noticed it _now_? You certainly get points for your keen observation skills, Jessica Fletcher."

"Hey, I was busy with remembering the lyrics _and_ getting the steps right _and_ not killing anyone so I wasn't really looking what you were all _wearing_!"

Kurt just pouted and got up. "This isn't flannel anyway. It's a flannel-patterned sweater."

"It totally looks like flannel, dude."

"But it's not so quit it," Kurt said through his teeth and groaned at Finn's infuriating, knowing grin. "I'll whip up some dinner. Unless you want to talk flannel some more."

"Nah, it's cool. And I'm starving. Need any-"

"Thank you but no, Finn," Kurt quickly declined. "You're not coming into the kitchen. Stay here and watch TV or something."

The taller boy shrugged. "Ok."

Kurt nodded and disappeared in the kitchen. He had just barely put everything he needed out on the table when he heard a loud crash from the dining room. He sighed and went to investigate.

Finn was standing over a broken Tiffany lamp that was – had been – Carole's.

Kurt put his hands on his hips. They would soon end up without a single lamp in the whole house if Finn continued like this.

"Finn Hudson, you'd better have a really good explanation for this."

"I…was born this way?"

Kurt shook his head. "You're going to use this as an excuse every time you break something now, aren't you?"

Finn grinned. "I'm starting to really like Lady Gaga."

"And I'm starting to really consider buying rubber lamps."

* * *

And I really hope you liked this, guys! If you did, then please by all means keep up the amazing feedback and reviews;)


	36. 2x19: The Pacifiers

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, Glee's not mine.

**A/N: **Whoa, guys, 510 reviews? You're really trying to kill me! Thank you SO MUCH and don't stop:)

**A/N2: **On another note, 'Rumours' was to me somewhat of a filler episode between the epic BTW and today's equally epic Prom eppy (Kurt in a kilt! Need I say anything more?) but it had its moments and the highlight was for me the development with Sam – it was unexpected as well as moving, plus I loved his twin siblings…so I decided to go with that. Enjoy:)

_I'd like to dedicate this chapter to __**Charliefox2012**__, who's been through some tough time lately – I hope this makes you smile:)_

* * *

**The Pacifiers**

"Once again, _why_ did we agree to do this?"

"Because Sam asked us and we're nice and helpful like that?"

"The next time I feel the urge to be _nice and helpful_, please kick me," Kurt groaned.

"You've got it," Finn assured him.

"Knew I could count on you," the other boy said wryly.

"Always," Finn replied and stretched his arms. Well, tried to.

"Will you stop fidgeting?" Kurt asked in irritation. "You're only making it worse!"

"I've got to move! I can't feel my hands anymore!" the taller boy exclaimed reproachfully and tried to loosen the knot binding his wrists behind his back but it was no use. Just like the ten other times that he had tried it in the last twenty minutes.

"Well, you _can't_ move because this knot only gets _tighter_ when you do," Kurt said through gritted teeth, feeling his irritation get the best of him. He was bound like Finn, with his back pressed against the other boy's – his arms were killing him, his bangs was getting in his eyes and being pressed against his antsy giant of a brother on the floor wasn't exactly improving his mood, either. "That knot's not going to give."

"Yeah, because you taught them how to tie it! Did you really have to show them some super-strong, self-tightening knot?" Finn exclaimed reproachfully. "What were you thinking?"

"In case you didn't notice, they were about to make us play Duck Duck Goose for the _fiftieth_ time. It was that or my mental breakdown."

"You just didn't like sitting in the stink pot all the time," Finn sniggered.

Kurt sniffed haughtily. "It's a stupid game and I can't run fast in these jeans."

"I'm surprised you can _move_ at all in them, dude. I mean, isn't your-"

"No, it isn't!" Kurt interrupted him quickly. "And we are not having this conversation. Let's talk about the weather. Or the roads. Or trigonometry."

Finn sighed but decided to let it go. "The knots, Kurt? _Why_?"

"Well, I had to think up something to distract them since you couldn't be bothered to stop eating pizza and help me."

"Well, it worked," Finn deadpanned. "And I was hungry!" he said defensively.

Inwardly he thought that this being bound thing had its pros – at least Kurt couldn't look at him and Finn was pretty sure he was glaring right now.

"But how do you even _know_ this knotty stuff, dude? Are you a pirate or something? And don't you eye-roll me, Kurt," he added quickly and the countertenor stopped himself from doing just that with a surprised gasp. "I really wanna know. Are you a sea person?"

Kurt blinked. "If this is your way of asking me if I'm a mermaid-"

"No, I'm pretty sure only girls can be mermaids so that's out of the question."

"Boys can be mermaids, I mean mermen, too!" Kurt protested. "Haven't you ever seen 'The Little Mermaid'?" he asked shocked.

"Um, no?" Finn said cautiously because Kurt's tone was like the other boy was going to have a heart attack or something. "But I've seen 'Waterworld' with Kevin Costner," he offered hopefully. "It had lots of people in water in it, too."

"For once I'm glad I'm bound because I feel a desperate urge to bang my head against something right now."

"Don't worry, you'll get plenty of occasions to do that yet," the taller boy consoled him wryly.

"Really, Finn," Kurt said with a huff. "'The Little Mermaid' is an absolute Disney classic. It's funny, it's sweet and it's wise. I think you'd like it. Especially considering your favorite movie is 'Happy Feet'," he added teasingly.

"I- You- It's-" Finn sputtered and gave up. "You're mean."

The countertenor chuckled, deciding he'd teased Finn enough for the stink pot.

"I know." He shrugged and they both hissed in protest as the knots tightened a bit more. "Sorry," he muttered apologetically. "Your terrible taste in movies aside, the sailing knots? I learned them for fun. My dad got me a book on them once, I think it was when he still believed if he got me interested in something like this, I'd give up my tiara collection and knee-long sweaters. You can imagine how that turned out," Kurt sniggered lightly. "Still, I thought the knots were sort of pretty and I taught myself how to tie them one summer."

Finn chuckled lightly. "_Pretty_?" he said wryly and shook his head. "They're _knots_, Kurt. Only you, buddy. Only you."

The smaller boy huffed. "Anything can have aesthetic values if you look at it the right way."

"Whatever, man, but did you really have to teach them how to disable us both with one innocent piece of string?"

"I didn't think they'd catch how to do it so fast!" Kurt said defensively. "It took me a couple of hours to get it right!"

"Never underestimate the evilness of kids," Finn said darkly. "You totally messed up, dude. And we promised Sam everything will be ok."

"Hey, if we're searching for the guilty here, you should be looking into a mirror, Finn Hudson."

"Um…do I have something on my face?"

"And once again a figure of speech whizzed past you and disappeared over the horizon," Kurt said wryly. "Let me simplify – _it's your fault, too_. Whose idea was it to play Cowboys and Indians in the first place?"

"It was better than Duck Duck Goose! And who agreed that we'd be Indians?" Finn countered. "You _never_ agree to be Indians because you always end up tied up! The first wild west rule, dude!"

Even though Finn couldn't see Kurt's face, he could almost _feel _the eyeroll.

"Well, I'm sorry for not knowing how it's done in the wild west," Kurt sniffed. "It might have something to do with the fact that I'm a teenager living in _Ohio_ in the _twenty first century_."

"So am I, dude!" Finn protested. "But didn't you like, play Cowboys and Indians yourself as a kid?"

Kurt wished he could cross his hands on his chest to prove his point. In their current predicament, all he could do was raise his chin and pout.

"As a matter of fact, I didn't," he said aloofly. "I was busy throwing tea parties and organizing weddings for my Power Rangers. Do you know how much time these things take to plan? And don't even start me on the divorces."

"Um, ok," Finn mumbled. "Did those divorces and tea parties maybe teach you how to get out of a cowboy trap?"

"They taught me patience," Kurt replied pointedly. "Which is what you could use."

"I don't need patience! I need to pee!" Finn whined.

Kurt groaned in pure exasperation. "I agreed to babysit two six-year-olds not three," he said. "So please, do step out of the character for a while and try to be mature…well, _maturer_. You think you can do it?"

"I can try," Finn said. "But I can't promise anything," he smiled lopsidedly. "And if my hands fall off because of this, I'm totally blaming you."

Kurt sighed. "Why do I even bother," he muttered under his breath.

"Um, so, you think Sam's going to be pissed?" Finn asked sheepishly after a while.

"No, I think he's going to be _euphoric_ about finding us tied in the bathroom with his brother and sister, whom we should be _taking care of_, thrashing the last remains of their worldly possessions," Kurt said with a scoff.

Finn furrowed his eyebrows. It was difficult for him to know if Kurt was being ironic or not on a normal basis but not being able to see his face made the task even harder. Also, the fact that he wasn't sure what _youforic _meant, wasn't helping, either.

"So…he's going to be really pissed?"

_~~ Three hours earlier... _

"You sure you'll be fine?" Sam asked.

"Totally, man," Finn replied enthusiastically. "We've got pizza, cookies, cool games _and _a TV. We're all set," he plopped down happily onto the master bed in between Stacy and Stevie. The twins squealed happily as they bounced in the air when Finn landed on the mattress. "You can leave them with uncle Finn, no worries."

"Um," Sam was seriously _starting _to get worried.

At this point Kurt emerged from the kitchenette, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel.

"Don't worry, Sam," he said with a reassuring smile. "We'll have lots of fun and by the time you're back, they'll be in their jammies in bed," he promised.

"Thanks, Kurt," Sam sighed, visibly relieved.

"Don't worry, Sammy," Stacy came to tug at her brother's jeans. "We'll take care of uncle Finn and Kurt."

Sam chuckled and hugged her. "In that case, I'm not worried anymore," he said and reached for the door. "I should be back by eight," he said in Kurt's direction. "If something's wrong, you've got my phone number. If I'm not picking up, my mom's phone number's-"

"-on the fridge. I know," Kurt said with an eye roll. "Go already or I'll have Finn throw you out, mother hen," he put his hands on his hips, a wry smile on his lips.

"Yeah, man, don't you trust us?"

Sam eyed Finn for a moment before sighing. "I do. Otherwise I wouldn't leave my _beloved_ little brother and sister and _everything_ we own alone with you," he said meaningfully. "But no pressure."

Finn smiled weakly and Kurt just shook his head.

"And you two-" he turned to the twins. "-behave and listen to uncle Kurt and Finn, ok? But mostly Kurt," he added wryly and Kurt chuckled.

"Ok," the twins replied in unison and turned back to the TV.

"Bye."

"Bye," Kurt said closing the door behind him and turning to Finn and the kids. "You. _Uncle Finn_. Get up and make yourself useful."

Finn pouted. "I am useful! I'm watching TV with Stacy and Stevie. Isn't that what baby-sitting's about?"

"We're not babies!" Stevie protested. "We're six!"

"Of course you're not, sweetie," Kurt said. "But that's what it's called."

"Well, it's a stupid name," Stevie decided and turned back to the TV.

"You know, he kinda has a point," Finn grinned.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Semantics aside, stop changing the topic and come help me with the supper."

"I've got a better idea," he said and turned to the twins. "Hey, I brought my Xbox with me. Wanna play some Mario Kart, guys?"

"Finn, I really don't think-"

"Yeah!" Stevie exclaimed.

"We always play with Sammy!" Stacy joined in enthusiastically. "Well, we used to until the bank didn't take his Play Station away."

"Well, you're going to play tonight," Finn said, looking at Kurt triumphantly. "You've been outvoted, dude."

The smaller boy just rolled his eyes and plopped onto the armchair. "Fine. Just try to keep it down, Finn. This is a motel and these walls are from cardboard at best," he reminded him opening he book he brought with him.

"Play with us, uncle Kurt!" Stevie asked.

"Thanks but I don't- What the-!" he exclaimed as something landed on his head, went through his hair, mussing it, and closed around his eyes.

"Guess who!" Stacy giggled and Kurt reached behind, prying her hands off his face before she inflicted even more damage. "Your hair is so shiny and soft," she said giving him an admiring look.

Kurt gulped. "Well, I try," he muttered and ducked as the girl reached out again. "Ok, I think I will play after all," he said getting up and moving at a safe distance from Stacy. "But no one touches the hair!" he warned sitting on the bed.

Finn sniggered.

the blonde girl sat right next to Kurt and kept eyeing him. "You're pretty," she decided after a while.

"Um, thank you." Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his place on the bed, feeling color rise up in his cheeks.

He heard a half-choking, half-chuckling noise coming from where Finn was setting up the Xbox and felt an urge to throw something at him.

"I'd like to be pretty like you one day," she continued with an adoring look in her eyes and threw her arms around him.

Kurt choked, stiffening. Finn was openly laughing at this point.

"I think you've got yourself an admirer, Kurt," he teased.

Kurt glared. "You'd better zip it. And set up that Xbox! Fast!"

"I never thought I'd see you so eager to play video games. Kids are good for you," Finn deadpanned but then turned to the console because if looks could kill, he'd be dead right now.

Kurt sighed in relief when everything was ready and the magic of Xbox worked its wonders. Stacy let go of him immediately and started kicking all their butts at Mario instead.

"I'm hungry!" Stevie announced half an hour later.

"Me too!" Stacy joined in.

"My stomach's making noises," Finn added.

Kurt shook his head and got up. "I'll warm up some pizza. Finn, set the table."

The taller boy groaned but complied. Kurt put the pizza in the microwave and turned to Finn, leaning against the counter.

"The napkins on the right," he instructed. He watched his stepbrother in silence for a while before speaking again. "Not that I don't appreciate the help, but Sam asked _me_ to help with the twins. You didn't have to come." Finn said nothing, pretending he was busy with the napkins. "Especially since I happen to know you gave up a video game night with Puck and Artie for this," Kurt pushed.

"It's no big deal, we have these nights like every week," the taller boy said avoiding eye contact.

Kurt crossed his arms. "You really think I'll believe that? You considered not going to_ your mom's birthday party _last week because you'd miss a game night, Finn. What's going on?"

Finn sighed. He knew by now that resistance really was futile where Kurt was concerned. And at the end of the day, he knew his stepbrother was the one person he could talk about this anyway. Even though Kurt was looking at him with that snarky look in his eyes, Finn knew by now that he didn't ask out of curiosity or spite so that he could have something to poke fun at Finn later. Kurt asked because he really _cared_ for him and would never judge him or tell anyone.

"I feel really bad about this week and I wanted to make it up to Sam," he admitted placing another napkin in its place on the table. "I gave him a really hard time, I accused him of things he didn't do and I _spied _on him to prove it. The rumors started because of me. He needed friends and all I gave him was even more drama. And I was selfish. Me and Quinn, me and Rachel…I was so focused on me and my stupid girl problems that I didn't even notice my friend was in trouble."

"Finn, Sam didn't want any of us to notice anything," Kurt said softly. "_That's _why you didn't notice."

"But I should have anyways! He's my friend!" he exclaimed shoving his hands in his pockets. "So if you want to tell me off or something, go ahead. I deserve it."

Kurt sighed coming closer to him. "Well, the stalking was too much. And the fact that your first thought was that I was cheating on Blaine with Sam? And then that Quinn was? It was bad and you're totally cleaning up the bathroom this week for that," he added in a lighter tone but Finn refused to look at him, his head dropped. "But I also know that you've been hurt and cheated on way too many times in the last year so I get it why you did it, Finn. So I'm not going to tell you off. Not this time, Frankenteen," he nudged him in the side.

Finn was still stubbornly looking at his shoes but if he looked up, he'd see the soft smile on Kurt's lips and a look of admiration in his eyes. The countertenor was once again moved and astounded by his stepbrother's loyalty to the people he cared about and his big, loving heart. Finn wanted to be everyone's hero and it was frustrating at times but he did it for all the right reasons. He did it because he was a genuinely good person and felt a need of the heart to do it, not to show off or get credit for it.

"And you more than made it up to Sam," Kurt continued putting a hand on Finn's shoulder. "It was your idea to get his guitar out of hawk, remember?" he smiled as the taller boy finally looked up and met his gaze.

"I don't think a guitar's going to cut it," Finn frowned.

"I think Sam thinks differently," Kurt said. "Losing that guitar was really hard for him. He learned to play the guitar on it and he's had it since he was seven."

"How do you know that, dude?"

Kurt shrugged. "I had a class with him the day he was bringing it to the pawn shop. He was in bad shape and I asked him about it."

Finn scratched his head. "Well, he did _cry_ when we brought it back with Rach. I knew he liked to play but I didn't know it meant so much to him."

"Like I said, you did a really big thing for him, Finn. He's not angry at you."

Finn sighed. "Thanks, man. I don't know why I always mess up and get angry at the people I care about," he said thinking about the way he shoved Sam the other day at Glee and the many times he got mad at Kurt and Rach and Quinn.

"Maybe it's because you know they're going to love you no matter what," Kurt said and threw a napkin at him. It flew straight into the other boy's face, landing on his nose. Finn picked it up and smiled at Kurt.

"You're a real sap, you know that?"

"It's all your fault."

They looked at each other for a while, and Finn reached out enveloping Kurt in a fierce hug.

"I'm not a stuffed animal, Finn!" the smaller boy protested good-naturedly but returned the hug with equal fierceness.

"Nope, you talk way too much," Finn replied wryly.

Nothing good lasts long, however, and soon there were footsteps behind them.

"We want to play Duck Duck Goose!"

The two boys turned to Stacy and Stevie.

"What about the pizza? Aren't you hungry any more?" Kurt asked.

"Duck Duck Goose!" came the reply.

The boys looked at each other. Finn shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

_~~ The present…_

"Do I still have my hands on? Cause I can't feel a thing."

Kurt sighed. "Neither can I," he muttered reaching out his leg.

Finn hissed. "What are you doing, dude?"

"I'm getting us out of this. It's going to hurt but I think I've found a way," he informed Finn looking around the bathroom as much as he could. "There are scissors near the sink. If we get to them, I think I'll be able to reach for them. But we've got to get up."

"Um, how?"

"Prop your legs against the wall and then try to lift yourself up, pressing against my back. I'll do the same and maybe we'll do it."

"Ok. But this sounds painful."

"It's better than sitting here," Kurt said levelly. "So, one…two…Finn!" he hissed as the taller boy started pushing too soon and they both toppled to the side. "It's supposed to be _after_ three!" he panted.

"Oh, I thought it was on three."

Kurt groaned. "Just…don't think."

"Ok. Can we get up now?"

After some exhausting and very much embarrassing scrambling and stumbling they somehow made it to their legs and to the scissors. After some even more excruciating wiggling, Kurt sighed as he felt the string loosen and fall off to the floor. He rubbed his wrists and looked up, meeting Finn's gaze.

"Revenge?"

Kurt smiled evilly.

**XxXxXxX**

Sam Evans didn't have many things to smile about these days but the sight that met his eyes as he stepped into the motel room that evening was definitely one of those things. It reminded him why he loved Glee and his club friends. He realized it really wasn't such a bad thing at all that they knew. Especially if it gave him such sights to come home to.

The room was squeaky clean and the TV was on with the opening menu for 'The Little Mermaid' on repeat. Stacy and Stevie were cuddled together on the bed in their jammies, asleep. As he took a better look, he saw that Finn and Kurt were there with them. Finn was splayed on his back, snoring away, and Sam wondered how on Earth the other three managed to sleep at all. He had one arm around Kurt, who was sleeping cuddled into Finn's side.

Sam tiptoed to the bed and shook Kurt gently. "Um, Kurt? I think 'The Little Mermaid' ended."

Kurt stirred, blinking at the blonde boy. "Oh, hi. Did it? And we didn't get to the wedding," he groaned sitting up and looking at Finn, who let out an especially loud snore.

"Finn," he said poking him in the side. "_Finn_. Wake up!"

The taller boy jumped up, tumbling off the bed. "You didn't have to shout!" he said reproachfully rubbing his elbow.

Kurt and Sam looked at each other in amusement as Finn blinked at them groggily.

"So, I see all went well," Sam said. Finn and Kurt shared a sideways look.

"Sure."

"Of course."

Sam smiled. "Thanks, guys. I owe you one," he said stepping into the bathroom.

There was silence for a while.

"Um, guys? Why is there string and scissors on the floor?"

* * *

So, that's it, guys! Sorry for the delay but Finn and Kurt didn't want to cooperate on this one;) I hope you liked this and please review!


	37. 2x20: Brave Heart

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee is Ryan Murphy's, I'm just a fangirl who can't resist playing with his wonderful creations:)

**A/N: **While 'Prom Queen' is definitely one of my favorite episodes this season and the the Furt moment we got was adorable, I still feel so bad and heartbroken for Kurt...and I can see why they needed Finn out of there – heads would roll...Still, I really missed him there and wanted to see his reaction. So, here's my try at it. Enjoy!

Spoilers for 'Prom Queen'.

* * *

**Brave Heart**

It wasn't really cold, it was May after all, but Finn was shaking anyway. The adrenaline was wearing off, replaced by a mixture of anger, incredulity and humiliation as he sat despondently on the parking lot curb in front of the gym, with Junior Prom, _his _Junior Prom, slowly coming to an end inside.

He still didn't know what had gotten into him, he only knew that when he saw Jesse St. Jackass nuzzling and groping Rachel on the dance floor, all he could think about was punching the guy's face off. The wild animal that had been lurking in his chest ever since he learned the betraying sleazeball was back, finally got unhinged. Now he fully understood where the expression 'see red' came from because all he could see was red, boiling rage. He didn't really remember much of what happened later apart from the fact that he did manage to pack at least one punch. Almost, if it wasn't for that freakish Matrix ninja thing Jesse did. Finn was nowhere that flexible, though, and he was now paying for it. As he moved his jaw gingerly, he felt pain shoot through his whole face and hissed, his fingers coming out smeared with a bit of blood. Yup, Jesse must have gotten a hit in, too.

He groaned and this time it wasn't from pain. Quinn was going to bite his head off for sure, Rachel probably hated him, he had missed half of Prom and on top of that, he was probably going to get a detention or worse. Coach Sylvester would make sure of that. She had been on a roll when she was dragging them out, and she kept mumbling something about how their fight had come in the perfect moment because she hadn't reached her molar extraction quota for the day and they would do perfectly. Finn wanted to correct her that the things were called 'moles' and thank you, he didn't have any to remove, but by the horrified look on Jesse's face he figured he'd better zip it.

In the end she had to let them go, though, because Becky had called her off on another code red. Jesse didn't waste time. He vaulted himself into his car and drove off faster than you could say 'scrambled eggs'.

Finn didn't have it that easy. He and Quinn had come in Kurt's Navigator so it wasn't like he could scram and get home so he sank down to the curb waiting for his stepbrother and hoping the Coach forgot about him. He let his head hang despondently between his knees as the scope of the trouble he'd gotten himself into slowly sank in.

He had no idea how long he sat there. It might have been twenty minutes or an hour. At some point people started to trickle out of the gym and into their cars so he figured it was over. Another quarter of an hour passed and finally he saw them. Quinn detached herself from the group, gave Finn one angry glare and went with Lauren and Puck. The group dispersed, everyone unusually quiet, so that soon there were only Blaine and Kurt walking towards him. Finn was glad he didn't have to face them all now. Kurt's wrath would be more than enough. He sprung to his feet, steeling himself for a right tongue-lashing from his brother, but he all but forgot about it when he got a better look at Kurt. His jaw fell.

"Dude…you're wearing a crown."

"I am well aware of that, Finn," Kurt sighed.

Finn's eyes lit up. "You won Prom King! That's so great, man! I told you this Braveheart outfit rocks!"

Kurt regarded him silently for a while, his eyes a translucent blue-greyish color. Finn felt concern gnaw at his stomach and his smile slid off his face. Something was wrong. Very wrong. There was only one other time Finn had seen Kurt's eyes like that and it had broken his heart then just as it was now. He only hoped this time it wasn't because of him. During the basement blowout he had promised himself he would never ever hurt Kurt like that again, and he wouldn't let anyone else do so either.

Looking at his stepbrother now, he was afraid his promise had been broken. He wanted to say something, he really did, but his words had abandoned him and then the haunted look in Kurt's eyes was gone and the moment lost. The countertenor turned to Blaine and squeezed his arm gently. Then he went for the Navigator without a word to either of them.

Finn looked after him for a while before turning to Blaine with an anxious frown. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Blaine sighed, a sour smile creasing his lips. "Kurt didn't win Prom King, Finn."

"So…that's why he's so upset?" the taller boy asked slowly. "I didn't know he wanted to win, he wasn't even in the competition," he mumbled. "So the crown…did he like, steal it or something?"

Blaine let out a mirthless chuckle. "I wish that was it," he replied shoving his hands in his tux pockets. Then he looked at Finn. "He was crowned Prom Queen."

Flabbergasted, Finn blinked before sputtering an incredulous, "_What?"_

"It was a write-in vote."

Finn really didn't think this night could get any worse but apparently the universe was bent on making this the absolutely worst night of his life. He thought being kicked out of Prom in front of the whole school was bad but this totally took the cake. He couldn't even imagine what Kurt must have felt in that moment. It was beyond insulting and cruel. No one deserved this kind of humiliation, and especially not Kurt.

Finn wanted to kick himself even more for getting thrown out because he wasn't there for Kurt. He felt the now fairly familiar rage rise within him again like a fire, enveloping him whole. He clenched his teeth and balled his fists, starting for the entrance. Heads were going to be smashed.

Then out of nowhere there was a hand on his chest slowing him down. He looked sideways to meet Blaine's firm gaze.

"What are you doing, Finn?"

"I've got some faces to punch off."

"You're going to beat the whole school up?" Blaine asked rather reasonably but Finn didn't want to listen to reason right now. Never in his life had he been so mad. Not even when he saw Rachel with Jesse. This was different. This was bigger than him and his stupid girl problems. This was his little brother. He ground his teeth. Kurt had been through so much this year, and he was so happy to be back and so looking forward to Prom, and what did he get in return? A punch to the gut. The least Finn could do was return the favor.

"If I have to," he growled. "Let me go."

He tried to push Blaine away, the guy was like a hobbit or something compared to him, but it turned out he was surprisingly strong for someone so small. He held his ground, standing in front of Finn and placing both his hands on the other teen's chest.

"Finn, stop it," he urged him. "The only thing you'll achieve is getting yourself expelled."

"I don't care! It's Kurt!"

"I know," Blaine enunciated calmly. "And believe me, if this had the slightest chance of succeeding, I'd be walking in there with you. But it doesn't and you know it, Finn."

The taller boy looked at him angrily, fury still boiling in his eyes and his posture tense. Blaine decided it was time for the final crushing argument or he would get literally trampled on by the Incredible Finn.

"…and Kurt would kill you if you got yourself hurt or expelled because of him," he said. "You _have_ seen Kurt angry, haven't you?"

"Kind of," Finn gulped. "Usually it's a glimpse over the shoulder because I'm already on the run by then."

Blaine nodded, watching Finn turn hesitant and relax slightly, his fists slowly unclenching. Blaine tried to hide a satisfied smirk seeing his words were finally getting somewhere. Trust Finn to be more afraid of his stepbrother's anger than the fists of a dozen jocks. He was right, by the way. Kurt could be pretty damn scary when he was pissed.

"So, if you don't want to spend tonight in fear of a major Kurt freak-out that may or may not involve shaving all your hair, you'd better give it up, Finn," he persuaded, only partly joking.

The taller boy groaned. "But I have to do _something_!"

"I know how you feel, Finn, but Kurt stood his ground," Blaine assured him. "He wore that crown and owned the moment. I wish you could have seen him. Do you know what he said? 'Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton.'," he shook his head, admiration in his voice. "It was epic."

Finn frowned. "She's an actress or something, right?"

The Warbler smiled at him. "Close."

The taller boy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever, man. I know he's strong but the thing is I don't _want_ him to have to be strong all the time. It's just not fair!"

"I know," Blaine agreed bitterly. "But do you honestly think you'll make it any more fair if you barge in there now and start hitting people?"

Finn looked like he was going to say yes, so Blaine quickly continued, "Think about Kurt. He really doesn't need this right now, Finn. He needs a shoulder to cry on – that's me, and a shoulder to smack – that's you," he said wryly and succeeded in eliciting a shadow of a smile from the other boy. "So come on, let's not keep him waiting anymore."

Finn nodded slowly, finally unclenching his fists fully. "You're a really cool guy, Blaine," he decided. "I'm glad Kurt has you."

Blaine smiled at him. "Same here, Finn. I know Kurt may not exactly wear his heart on his sleeve but he's really glad he has you for a brother. He respects you."

Finn gave him a look of disbelief. "He...does?"

Blaine nudged him in the side. "He'll deny it but it's the truth. Just don't tell him I told you that. We'd both be dead."

**XxXxXxX**

Finn hovered in the hallway waiting for Kurt to say his goodbyes to Blaine on the porch. As he observed them, he felt a smile grow on his lips. He remembered the aura of happiness from the time he was with Rachel. Finn found he didn't feel any kind of unease or discomfort watching his brother with his boyfriend, like he inwardly thought he would. All he thought about was that he liked seeing Kurt being able to enjoy this kind of happiness. Plus, Blaine was a really cool guy, and he liked football. But most of all, he genuinely loved Kurt. That was enough for Finn.

"Finn, your eyes are starting to cross," a snarky voice to his right remarked and the teen snapped out of his reverie realizing Kurt had detached himself from Blaine in the mean time and was now standing before him with a raised eyebrow.

Blaine was already at his car, which he had left parked at the Hudmel house before Prom, and waved them goodbye before jumping in and driving off.

"Finn? Are you going to let me in tonight?" Kurt asked crossing his arms.

"Um, sorry," the taller boy mumbled moving away from the entrance.

He closed the door after Kurt, worry stealing back over him as he watched his brother take off his coat and shoes. Kurt had chatted away about the music and the outfits like an overexcited squirrel on the way back but he didn't say a word about the crowning and Finn knew him well enough to recognize it was a front. He wanted to know how Kurt really was but at the same time he had no idea how to broach the subject without angering or upsetting the other boy.

"Finn, I can _feel_ you staring," Kurt said without turning around and Finn almost jumped, startled by the other boy's observation.

Figuring subtlety was never his thing, Finn just went for it. Even if it got him a smack over the head.

"Sorry, it's just...are you ok?" he asked sheepishly. "You didn't say a word about the...crowning and I was-"

Finn let his voice trail as Kurt straightened up, having pulled off both his boots, and regarded him for a while.

"I'm fine," he said flatly but seeing genuine concern in his stepbrother's eyes, he forced a reassuring smile onto his lips. "I'm royalty now, how could I not be?" he added casually but he knew the other boy saw right through it.

Finn looked at Kurt skeptically but before he could say anything, the smaller boy stepped closer to him and put a hand under his chin, turning his head to the side. Finn hissed as Kurt's cold fingers moved gently over his now probably very swollen jaw. Crap, he'd completely forgotten about that.

"You, on the other hand, are not," Kurt said clucking in disapproval as he looked his brother's red-turning-blue jaw over expertly. "You're lucky our parents are already asleep and can't see you," he added releasing Finn's chin and moving a step back. "Come on, this has to be taken care of or you'll look like a hamster tomorrow."

"I'll totally look like a tough guy!" he grumbled following Kurt into the kitchen.

"A tough hamster, maybe," Kurt shot back wryly and started to rummage through the cabinets.

"No one can boost my manly ego like you," Finn said reproachfully as the smaller boy turned back to him with the first aid kit.

"At your service," Kurt retorted, opening the kit. "You're lucky the cut's small and doesn't need stitches," he said disapprovingly dabbing the wound on his jaw with a kitchen towel and applying some disinfectant.

Finn hissed. "You're trying to make it better or worse?"

"Don't be a baby," the smaller boy scolded. "It's the least you deserve for _starting_ _up a fight and getting kicked out of Prom_," Kurt said pointedly, stopping to meet Finn's eyes with a reproving gaze. "What was that about, Finn? Have you completely lost your mind?"

"For a while," Finn admitted. "But it felt good."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Boys."

"It's just...I dunno." Finn sighed, his hands twisting in his lap. "When I saw that slimeball with Rachel as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't turned her into an omelette last year, and betrayed her and went behind all our backs...something just snapped, you know?"

Kurt put a band-aid on the wound and stepped away to look Finn in the eye.

"You still love her," he announced softly after a while.

"Of course I do," Finn mumbled, dropping his eyes. "She's my friend-" he added meekly.

Kurt huffed. "Finn Hudson, if you had to lie for a living, you'd be homeless and starving."

"I'm not lying!"

Kurt sighed and plopped on a chair next to Finn. "Maybe not but what you're doing is even worse," he stressed. "You can't be with Quinn and pine for Rachel, Finn. It's not fair to them and to you. You've got to make up your mind or you'll end up hurting them both. And yourself," he added looking pointedly at Finn's bruised face.

The taller boy shifted on his chair uncomfortably.

"The thing is, I can't," he said, frustration in his voice. "One minute I'm so sure I want to be with Quinn but then she makes me hand out pens with our names on it and I feel ridiculous and then Rachel is all nice and helps me choose the right corsage but then Quinn comes down the stairs in that dress and looks so beautiful and-"

"Finn, sweetie, you're starting to babble," Kurt interrupted. He patted Finn on the shoulder. "Strangely enough, I think I understand. Quinn is your first love and Rachel is your true love. They're both special and you don't want to let either of them go. But right now you're letting both of them _down_."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Make up your mind, Finn. Once and for all," Kurt stressed. "Because frankly, if there's any more of this triangle drama, Mercedes and I will stage an intervention and it won't be pretty."

"But I can't choose, that's the problem!"

"Finn, just...as cheesy as this sounds...go with your heart. Meditate, play your games, sleep on it...and _choose_. "

The taller boy nodded slowly, a grim frown on his face. Still, he knew Kurt was right. "Thanks, Kurt."

"You're not off the hook yet." Kurt stood up and crossed his hands. "Blaine told me you wanted to beat the whole of McKinley up. While it's endearing and I'm grateful, I hope you do realize it would have been incredibly stupid. You could have gotten yourself expelled."

"And it would be worth it."

Kurt sighed. "Finn, I appreciate your care but I'm not helpless, you know. I can take care of myself and I have. I handled it. I showed them up, proved to them that they can't hurt me and that they will never be able to touch me again," he finished with his chin up.

"I just really wish you wouldn't have to, dude."

"So do I but that's life and I've learned to deal with it," Kurt replied decidedly. "You should, too, or you'll get yourself hurt or expelled and then I will have to kill you."

Finn let out a soft chuckle and he was relieved to see the shorter boy was smiling, too. He tried to touch his jaw gingerly but Kurt snapped his fingers away. He went to the fridge and took out a bag of frozen peas.

"Ugh, I hate peas," Finn said taking the bag from him.

"So do I," Kurt replied. "That's why we're using them. That way Carole won't be able to cook them for dinner tomorrow," he said with a mischievous smile.

Finn smiled back and slowly put the bag to his face, the cold seeping into his skin and alleviating the pain, which he welcomed with a grateful sigh.

"Thanks, man," he looked up at Kurt. "So, are you really fine? Because I can beat the whole school on Monday, too."

Kurt stared him down. "No, you can't. And I swear I'm going to start charging money from every person who asks me if I'm fine."

"Dude, seriously. It's me. You can tell me everything," he put a hand on his shoulder. "You know I won't tell anyone. Partly because I probably won't understand half of what you're saying anyway."

"I'm _fine_."

Finn seemed to be disappointed but he didn't press and Kurt was very grateful for that. He was most definitely not fine but if he allowed himself to dwell on that, he'd start crying again and he'd already done enough of that for one evening. And he didn't want to break down in the kitchen in front of Finn. There would be time for that later when he was alone in his bed.

"But if you're not, you'll tell me, ok?"

"Of course," he replied quickly. "Now stop with the Inquisition and go to bed."

He knew he sounded snippy but Finn was sometimes terrible at reading moods and this was definitely one of those times.

"What's the Inquisition?"

Definitely.

"Go to bed, Finn."

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt welcomed the silence of his room with a sigh after he had to almost physically kick Finn out and threaten him with bodily harm.

With a shake of his head, he stepped into the shower. After doing his nightly routine he put on his oldest and most comfortable pajamas and dug himself deep under the covers in hope of falling asleep quickly. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. The utter humiliation and mortification he'd felt when the lime light turned on him, the whole school staring, the silence so thick you could cut it with a knife...it all came back as soon as he closed his eyes. This time he let the tears fall.

When the dawn was starting to set in and the sky slowly segued from the black of night into a rosy dawn, he drifted off into a numb, uneasy slumber. At about this point his door creaked open and someone shuffled in rather clumsily. He felt his bed dip slightly to the side as someone sat on it.

"Kurt? You're sleeping?"

"No, I'm playing soccer," he mumbled turning his back to Finn. "G'way."

A silence followed and Kurt relaxed.

"How about now?"

He groaned. "YES. Leave. Now."

"Ok. One thing, though," Finn whispered and then Kurt heard the strings of the guitar. "I've been learning this for the last couple of hours."

Kurt cracked one watery eye open, and Finn's form swam into focus.

"You're insane," he groaned.

"In the best sense of the word, right?" Finn replied nonplussed.

"This is _not_ a compliment, Finn," he hissed as the other boy continued to strum his guitar. It was his new instrument of choice after their parents had banned the drums at home last week because the neighbors had finally had enough. "Do you want to wake the whole neighborhood up? _Again_?"

"No, just you," Finn said nonchalantly.

Kurt huffed and put a pillow over his head. He heard the other boy chuckle and felt the bed shift as if Finn was moving. Then the pillow was pried from his hands.

"I really want you to hear this," he said almost bouncing off the bed in excitement.

"You had coffee, didn't you?" Kurt asked in exasperation watching Finn further shift and bounce like a hyper puppy.

"A little. I was really sleepy and I had to get this done."

"Couldn't it wait till morning?"

Finn scratched his head. "Huh. I guess it could...didn't think of that. But you're already awake now so..."

Kurt groaned. "I'm not _awake_. _You woke me_."

"Are you very mad at me?" he asked weakly and for the first time he thought maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"Not at all," the countertenor replied. "I'm planning your death, but in a happy way."

Finn shifted uneasily. "I'm sorry, Kurt. It's just...I haven't been there for you today and I'm really sorry about that."

Kurt sighed. "And you had to say this at two in the morning?"

"I couldn't stand the thought you're angry or disappointed with me."

"Finn, I'm not angry or disappointed," Kurt said, the barb gone from his voice as he saw how worked up Finn was about this. "It's ok. _I'm_ ok. Blaine was there and it all turned out fine."

"But it didn't have to!" the taller boy said angrily. "And I wasn't there! And I promised to you and to Burt I'd take care you. And I really want to because you're like one of the most important people in my life..." he let his voice trail.

Kurt's eyes became wider and wider as Finn went on with his tirade but at this moment they must have reached the size of saucers. He had no idea the other boy felt so much for him.

"Jesse packed in more than one punch to your head tonight, didn't he?" he asked wryly but his soft smile offset his words.

Finn looked at him reproachfully. "I am perfectly capable of expressing my feelings without being punched," he huffed and Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm starting to have second thoughts on whether you deserve this."

"You've already woken me up, managed to irritate me _and_ crumple my sheets," he said with a scowl but in truth he was curious what was it that Finn had prepared especially for him in the middle of the night. "Do you really want to tell me it's been for nothing? I might not take it very well."

"When you put it like that...no, I guess," Finn gave in with that lopsided smile of his and started on the guitar. "Listen to the lyrics, ok?"

The song was out of Kurt's usual wheelhouse but it was definitely in Finn's and the countertenor found himself entranced by his stepbrother's unusually subdued yet somehow much deeper and richer voice.

_Tough, you think you've got the stuff_  
_You're telling me and anyone_  
_You're hard enough_

_You don't have to put up a fight_  
_You don't have to always be right_  
_Let me take some of the punches_  
_For you tonight_

_Listen to me now_  
_I need to let you know_  
_You don't have to go it alone_

Kurt sat up hugging his pillow, his attention now undividedly on Finn. The taller boy smiled at him sheepishly and his voice became steadier.

_We fight all the time  
You and I...that's alright  
We're the same soul  
I don't need...I don't need to hear you say  
That if we weren't so alike  
You'd like me a whole lot more_

_Listen to me now_  
_I need to let you know_  
_You don't have to go it alone_

Finn put his whole heart into the words, and looking at his stepbrother, he knew he was getting his message, and what's more important, he believed it. He couldn't help but wonder inwardly at how different Kurt looked from the Kurt at Prom tonight, and he also looked about eleven in his loose pajamas and disheveled hair. Finn felt an overwhelming urge to protect him no matter what.

_I know that we don't talk_  
_I'm sick of it all_  
_Can you hear me when I sing, _  
_you're the reason I sing_  
_You're the reason why the opera is in me_

_Where are we now?_  
_I've got to let you know_  
_A house still doesn't make a home..._

Finn finished putting a hand over the strings. They stayed in silence for a while and Kurt could no longer be angry with him. Only Finn had that unique talent to make Kurt feel irritation, endearment and complete love in less than five minutes. It was a rare gift.

Finn looked at Kurt uneasily but the smaller boy stayed silent, an unreadable expression on his face. He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets awkwardly.

"Um, ok," he mumbled, shifting from foot to foot. "So...that's that. I'll be going then. Sorry."

"Finn," Kurt finally spoke and his hand shot out, grabbing Finn's wrist and stopping him. "Thank you."

Finn grinned and put his arms around his brother. "You're welcome."

Kurt didn't push him away but clung to Finn for a moment, taking in the comfort his stepbrother's arms offered. He exhaled shakily, trying to regain some of his composure.

"You've become quite good at making me cry with your singing," he said wryly moving away from the other boy. "And I'm holding that against you. Damn sap," he sniffed.

"I consider it my special gift," Finn grinned at him. "But hey, at least this time I'm not making you dance," he added nudging Kurt in the side. Then his expression became serious. "Talk to me?" he ventured. "I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer but I know tonight hurt you. You're tough and strong and stuff, and I admire that, but please don't shut me out?"

Kurt let out a shaky sigh but there was such genuine care and earnestness in Finn's gaze that he decided to give in.

"I was so happy to return to McKinley and it seemed everything would be better now. Dave turning himself around, no more locker body checking, no more slushies," Kurt took in a ragged breath. "For once, I felt _safe_. And this…this…nothing's changed, Finn."

The taller boy sighed, feeling lost and more than a little out of his depth. But this was Kurt and the fact that he trusted him enough to include him in his life and pour his heart out like this, the normally inhibited person that he was, was enough to make him get his act together and _try_. Even if he sucked at this.

"Kurt, _you've_ changed," he tried. The countertenor looked at him confusedly so he cleared his throat and continued. "And tonight…you showed it to the whole world and yourself. Don't you see what you did?"

Kurt looked at him questioningly.

"You _stayed_," Finn enunciated, feeling more sure of what he was saying with every word. "You _didn't run away_, Kurt. You faced them with your head high and showed them they can't touch you. You won tonight and they all lost," he said earnestly and the smaller boy regarded him carefully for a while. "That's big, man."

"How did you get to be so insightful, Finn?"

"Ok, I'm not sure what that means…but if it's something good, I guess it comes from being your brother," Finn mumbled.

"Again with the sappy one-liners."

"Come on, you like them."

"And I've got you to blame for that."

Finn grinned at him. "Plus, from what I hear, you got that Prom slow dance with your bf you've mentioned once or fifty times," he added wryly nudging him in the side.

Kurt let out a teary chuckle and Finn ruffled his hair.

"You're a legend now, Kurt. The first male Prom Queen ever. And you're still more man than they will ever be."

Kurt looked at him with love and admiration and Finn knew this was one of those moments in life that made it all worth it.

Suddenly the silence was pierced by the telephone downstairs. They both held their breaths. There was shuffling and they heard Burt answer. The conversation was quite short.

"Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel, the neighbors didn't appreciate the 2 am concert," Burt said loudly. "I'm coming up and if I find you out of your rooms or anywhere near any musical equipment, you'll get so much house arrest, your grandchildren will be grounded."

Kurt and Finn looked at each other.

"Crap."

* * *

So, this was wordy...and this story has just reached over 100 000 words! I wouldn't have done it without your support, guys! Thank you!

On that note, I hope I didn't make your eyes hurt and that you've enjoyed this:) I know this wasn't the usual crazy Furt but I felt so so bad for Kurt and just wanted to hug him and make it up to him somehow! I couldn't do it myself so I had Finn do it:)

Reviews make Kurt smile. And me too;)

* I know we didn't see Jesse hit Finn on screen but let's just assume he did manage to squeeze in a punch somewhere;)

** Finn's song is U2's 'Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own' and it's not mine. But it's awesome:)


	38. 2x21: Lesson Learned

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, Glee is whose it's supposed to be. As for Kurt and Finn…nah, so are they. Damn.

**A/N: **I think it's safe to say the world didn't end;) Again. And it was supposed to on my b-day, of all days! Also, that is why this is a bit late – I wanted to post this during the weekend but once all your family and friends decide you need to celebrate, there's nothing you can do;)

**A/N****2: **As for 'Funeral'…gosh, this episode was such a tearjerker! I didn't expect much cheerfulness from an epi called 'Funeral' but still…this was heartbreaking. The only upside I find is that the talented Jane Lynch finally got something else to do apart from terrorizing NDs.

Still, I'll always like this episode, however sad it was, because it finally brought Finn and Kurt together! And reminded me why I love Furt so much – Finn's been kind of a douche-boat this season but Kurt really does bring out the best in him and when Finn's with him, he turns into this sweet and loveable person:)

Enjoy and spoilers for 'Funeral', of course.

* * *

**Lesson Learned**

Finn looked like his puppy bit him.

Kurt watched him with growing worry, fearing he might try to lay another punch into Jesse or just spontaneously combust out of rage as their new 'consultant' kept making fun of Finn's dancing and singing skills. At first Kurt had laughed with everyone because Jesse did kind of have a point but as he kept going, the countertenor felt his smile slide off his face. He knew how much heart and effort Finn put into becoming a better singer and dancer (and if he didn't, the complete mutilation of almost all the lamps in their house and neighbor complaints were there to remind him), and how seriously he took his male lead role in Glee. It was a struggle for him more often than not but he loved Glee and never gave up. Kurt admired that about Finn. And here was Jesse St. Douchebag marching in and wiping it all out in a matter of seconds.

Kurt felt like punching him himself. Then, thankfully, Jesse went on to share the Vocal Adrenaline's dance-till-you-drop-dead method and the countertenor relaxed a bit. Finn seemed to calm down, too. Still, when the class ended, he took off like his butt was on fire. Kurt sprung to his feet and launched after him.

"Finn!" he called but the other boy didn't hear or didn't care. Either way, Kurt wasn't letting this go. "Finn!"

Nothing. He let out an irritated sigh and quickened his pace, only catching up with the other boy in the parking lot.

"Finn, dammit!" he panted. "I'm talking to you!"

The taller boy whirred around, his backpack flying after him. "Kurt, I'm storming off! It doesn't really work when you come with me."

Kurt blinked, rendered speechless for a moment. Finn scowled.

"What do you want anyway?" he asked gruffly. "Come to make fun of me more?"

"I…what?" Kurt stuttered.

"I saw you laugh with everyone else when Jesse called me a pooping zombie."

Kurt had to pretend he was clearing his throat to keep himself from laughing again because the imagery was just...eerily accurate. He may not exactly love Jesse St. James but he had to admit the guy had a way with words. Specific, but still.

Finn didn't seem to appreciate that fact, however, and he crossed his hands with a pout.

"He didn't call _you_ that," Kurt finally said when he was sure his voice wouldn't betray him. "-only your dancing."

"And singing."

Kurt sighed. "I'm sorry, Finn, but your sense of rhythm-" he let his voice hang, searching for the most gentle way to put it. "-leaves room for improvement."

"I know but I've been working so hard the last two years and I've gotten, like, way better!"

"Considering you didn't kill or maim me at the wedding? Yes, you have," Kurt agreed. "Then again, you broke Rachel's nose only two weeks ago."

Finn shot him a reproachful look. "That could have happened to anyone!"

"But it happened to _you_, Finn."

"Are you here to help me or to put me down even more?" the taller boy asked angrily, looking at Kurt challengingly.

The countertenor sighed. True, Finn didn't have the best voice or dance moves but if Kurt was honest with himself, his stepbrother more than made up for that in emotion and enthusiasm. The right technique and training were important but if there was no feeling behind it, music just fell flat and meant nothing. There were many technically perfect giants of singing but they still sounded like emotional dwarves. Then there were so-so singers that blew you away and had you soaring right with them emotionally. Kurt would take the latter any day. And that was what Finn was on the path to becoming, if his 'I Gotta Be Me' was any indicator. Finn, however, didn't have to know that or Kurt feared he'd stop practicing altogether. So the countertenor continued his good-natured teasing and calling Finn up on his infamous dancing and singing. Still, when Jesse St. James did it, he found he really didn't like it.

Finn may be a goofy, awkward giant but he was Kurt's goofy, awkward giant.

With that in mind, he met Finn's gaze and laid a hand on his elbow. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "You have my back, _literally_ – we'll talk about the lurking in corridors when you think I don't see you later – but it should work both ways. We're brothers. We should stick together and look out for each other, and today I didn't do that for you."

Finn gazed at him levelly for a moment. His feelings had been hurt but the fact that Kurt felt bad enough about this to go after him and apologize pretty much made up for it in his head. Finn was protective of Kurt, especially lately, but he considered it normal and didn't want anything in return. Still, to know that Kurt also felt protective of _him_, was kinda sweet and really great. It showed how far they had come in the last two years. Still, he wasn't letting Kurt off the hook that easy.

"No, you didn't," he replied, his lips a thin line.

Kurt groaned. "You're going to make me do a full-on apology, aren't you?"

"Yup," Finn agreed. "And a full-on clean up of my room."

"Sorry but my biohazard suit is in cleaning and I'm not coming into your room without it," Kurt retorted wryly.

"You're funny," Finn said humorlessly.

Kurt sighed. "How about a tray of macadamia nut cookies?"

The taller boy narrowed his eyes at him. "With white chocolate chips?"

Kurt felt his lips twitch upwards. "Ok," he conceded. "But if the sugar count kills you, I had nothing to do with it."

Finn grinned. "Cool."

"So we're ok?"

The taller boy nodded. "I'm selling myself really cheap here but yeah, we're ok."

Kurt smiled. "And Jesse? He's a douche," he said with a grin. "I felt like hitting him myself," he admitted.

Finn sniggered. "I'd have paid to see that."

The countertenor rolled his eyes. "I'll see you at home," he said turning to the Navigator, which was parked a couple of spots further.

Finn didn't reply but there was that lopsided smile on his face, and Kurt knew he just had an idea and he probably wouldn't like it.

"Race you?" he asked.

Yes. Definitely one of those ideas.

"Finn Hudson, I am most definitely not going to indulge in some macho games for little boys."

"Cause you know you'll lose, Mr. Look-it's-a-sixty-limit-so-lets-drive-fifty," Finn said teasingly.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "You couldn't drive more than sixty even if you _tried_ in that tuna can of yours. I think if you'd get out and push it, you'd move faster."

Finn eyed him for a while, but decided that not raising to the bait was the best tactic.

"Then you've got nothing to lose," he said cheerfully.

"What are you up to, Finn?" Kurt asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Apart from kicking your ass for laughing at me, I have no anterior motive."

"Ulterior, Finn," the countertenor corrected automatically.

"Right. So, are you a chicken, Kurt?" he asked teasingly.

The smaller teen squeezed the car keys he was holding in his palm tighter. "You're gonna lose, Hudson."

"Bring it on, Hummel."

**XxXxXxX**

Finn won (using shortcuts wasn't cheating!) and gloated all next day, to Kurt's growing irritation, and he would have all week, had it not been for the staggering news that hit the Glee Club the next day. The death of Jean Sylvester resonated with the two boys deeply and they found themselves working together preparing the funeral in unusual agreement and mutual understanding during that sad week.

Well, at least until they got to the decorations.

"What is this again?"

"Finn, have you never been to kindergarten?"

"I have but we had plasticine not this weird stuff," the taller boy huffed. Then his eyes lit up with curiosity. "Is it really salty?"

"Don't-" Kurt began but Finn had already put some of the salt dough in his mouth. "-eat it," he finished with a sigh.

Finn coughed and spat the dough out, his eyes watering. "Ugh, it's disgusting!"

Kurt merely raised an amused eyebrow as he watched him.

"How did we even end up doing this?" Finn asked reproachfully, still coughing every other word. "You know I'm no good at this kind of stuff," he moaned looking at the kitchen table, which was laden with the dough, some molds and a myriad of paints they were painting the Willy Wonka mushrooms with.

Kurt looked critically at the mushroom Finn was working on. "So true," he sighed, putting the last touches on his own perfectly shaped toadstool. "The girls took the flowers and the chocolate fountain, Artie and Sam are making the photo slide show and the rest is dealing with the invitations. For you, I figured this would be the safest bet," he said with a sigh. "I obviously didn't count in the fact you'd start _eating_ the decorations," he added pointedly.

"Well, I _am_ hungry," Finn stated with a grin.

"You've eaten a whole tray of muffins!" Kurt said incredulously. It never ceased to amaze him just how much food his brother could put into his body and not explode.

"That was like, an hour ago!"

Kurt blinked. "For the sake of my nerves and sanity, I'm just going to ignore you from now on," he uttered and went on to a new mushroom.

Finn sighed and tried to get back to work but he couldn't really focus. Jean Sylvester, Rachel, the Coach, Jesse St. James and Quinn all jostled and fought and bumped against the inside of his head.

Kurt looked up to see Finn painting his own hand green with a blank expression on his face. He raised an eyebrow.

"Finn, you alive in there?" he asked, not unkindly. "And I think your hand's green enough."

The other boy's head snapped up. "Oh, crap," he said absent-mindedly and went to wash his hand in the sink.

Kurt watched him with a worried frown. He knew this was affecting Finn just as much as it was himself, however hard the other boy tried to conceal it. Just because he didn't _remember_ his father didn't mean he missed him any less, or that his loss was less significant. Maybe it was slightly easier but the pain was still there and it never really went away. Kurt knew something about that.

"I don't get her," Finn finally said sitting back at the table, shaking Kurt out of his small reverie. "Jean was like, the person the Coach loved most in the world. Why wouldn't she want to keep everything that reminds her of her sister?"

"Precisely because of that, Finn," Kurt said softly.

The taller boy looked at him blankly. "But why? We kept like, everything about my dad. For sixteen years his urn sat in his armchair and in the night my mom would take it to bed with her and talk to him."

"And my dad had my mom's toothbrush and all her clothes all these years," Kurt agreed with a nod. "And I still have the broken dresser."

"I know," Finn said patting his shoulder gingerly. "It reminds you of her and makes you feel better. So why does the Coach want all of these memories gone?"

Kurt sighed. "Because all these memories? They can also make you feel _worse_, Finn. When you think of what you'll never have again-" his voice hitched in his throat and he needed a moment. "They can be really painful," he finally said. "Especially when you lose someone in such an unexpected way. You're unprepared and vulnerable. And the Coach can't even really share this with anyone. You had your mom, I had my dad, and they had us but Sue…now that Jean is gone, she's alone in the world. Maybe she doesn't want to be reminded of that."

Finn shook his head. "The Coach was right. How is any of this fair?" he asked angrily. "Jean, your mom, my dad – they didn't deserve to die so early."

"Finn, I don't have an answer for you," Kurt said after a moment, a shadow passing over his eyes. "Honestly, I'm just as mad as you are."

"Mad at what?"

"The universe?" he returned, his eyes shining with unshed tears. But his voice stayed strong. "I guess that's why I first started doubting the existence of God. What kind of entity can take away the best and sweetest people so early but leave the meanest and worst to grow old in health and wealth? How does that make sense? How is it fair?"

"It's not," Finn said somberly.

They both remained silent for a moment. Kurt feared this was soon going to turn into a sobbing fest, and he'd had more than enough crying in the last days and weeks, so he took a deep breath and reached out to move a stray strand away from Finn's forehead. The other boy looked up at him, leaning into the touch slightly.

"What _does_ make sense to me-" he said in a different vein, forcing a teary smile onto his lips. "-is other people. No matter how hard it is and how much it hurts, if there are people around you who love you and care for you, you'll always make it through," he finished, his eyes brimming with the unsaid as he looked at Finn. "However irritating they can sometimes be."

Finn met Kurt's gaze. He was so flabbergasted that he almost missed the point when the other boy dipped his brush in red paint and purposefully ran it over Finn's cheek with a satisfied grin.

"Hey!" he protested. "Are we twelve?"

Inside, though, Finn felt relief wash over him. The questions and doubts were mind-boggling and he preferred not to think about them too much. He didn't really like where they led.

"One of us is," Kurt replied levelly, not in the least bit contrite, knowing his mood-breaking tactics worked.

The next five seconds were a blur ending in Kurt screeching rather impressively as a copious amount of yellow paint landed on his trousers. Silence followed but this time it was a silence before the storm.

"Um, sorry, dude," Finn said. "Almost really. But you should know better – me plus paint…"

"So it's _my fault_, Demolition Man?" Kurt glared.

"No…I mean, maybe a bit," Finn stuttered, slowly steering out of Kurt's reach. "I'll pay you back?" he asked weakly.

"These are $550 trousers, Finn," he said through gritted teeth.

"You paid 500 bucks for pajama bottoms?" Finn asked incredulously, eying the black-and-white (and now also yellow) skull-covered pants he'd seen Kurt wear to the audition earlier.

Kurt growled. "This is not pajamas! It's haute couture."

"_Odd cotier_ or not, you should be thanking me," Finn replied trying to keep his cool even though he knew he should probably start running by now. "They're ugly."

"How about I thank you by setting fire to all of your flannel shirts?" Kurt growled.

"Dude, I'll dump maple syrup in your hair if you do."

Kurt's hand flew straight to his immaculately styled locks. "That's not funny, Finn."

"Yeah, it is," he grinned. "And I'm really sorry about the trousers."

**XxXxXxX**

Oh God. He tried to keep it together but this reminded him of his mom too much. He remembered watching her wither away into nothingness in her hospital bed day after day. He didn't know what was going on but he knew his mommy wasn't ok even though not once did she ever let Kurt see how much she was suffering. There was always a smile on her face when he was with her. And then one day when they came to visit, and Kurt had just gotten his first bike and daddy was teaching him how to ride it and he was so excited to tell her about it, she wasn't in her bed.

He never saw her again.

The only thing that stopped him from sobbing through 'Pure Imagination' was the fact that he had a solo in it. He kept reminding himself this was for Jean and Sue, and when the Coach mouthed a thank you, he was even able to muster a teary smile at her.

But that was it. He didn't think he could handle going to the cemetery and watching the coffin being lowered to the ground. He felt a sob bubble in his chest and he didn't have the strength to hold it back any longer…and then there was warmth spreading through his shoulder and he looked back to see Finn standing right behind him, an earnest _understanding_ look in his eyes.

Finn gave him a reassuring smile. He was close to crying himself but Kurt's earlier words helped him pull together. He thought about the people he loved – his mom, Burt, Kurt – they'd been through everything, they'd been broken and put back together so many times and yet they were still there. Together. He knew that whatever came their way, they'd make through it, too. Kurt was right. It was the people that made it all bearable.

Kurt let out a shaky sigh and felt the sobbing subside. He reached his hand and put it over Finn's. No words were necessary.

Sue and Jean had taught them an important lesson today. The humanity, the real matter in life – to love and be loved.

Kurt smiled knowing he and Finn had passed this lesson this week. And as he looked at how far they had come, he knew they always would.

* * *

So, this is it, guys. I hope it wasn't too somber, I tried to break the mood here and there but considering the topic, this couldn't really be the usual…I do hope you've enjoyed this nonetheless! Don't forget to drop a review before you go:)

Also, I apologize to anyone who liked Kurt's pants in 'Some People' but they really did look like pajama bottoms and I personally didn't like them – the only redeeming feature were the bad-ass skulls (btw, those pants really do cost $550 retail!) – so I kinda thought I could have Finn-Destroyer-Of-The-Worlds do something to make Kurt not wear them again. Like, ever.

Ok, enough of long ANs, NY and Nationals coming next!


	39. 2x22: For Good

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Gah, still not mine.

**A/N: **My obsessive Furt eye spotted and loved Kurt's 'Mr. Bossy Pants' tease at Finn but apart from that there was no Furt to speak of…and I think there could have been. Quite a lot. Also, is it just me, or does 'For Good' fit Furt much better than it did Kurchel (not that Finn could pull it off, like _ever_…and I really wouldn't want to hear him try;)? Anyways, here goes, I hope you'll like it, guys!

_Also, a big thanks for their lovely reviews to the anon reader __**ali**__ and to __**HeathuurMuhree**__, __to whom I couldn't reply personally._

* * *

**For Good**

Finn really didn't like New York.

As he stood in the street looking at the corner Rachel disappeared behind, he couldn't understand what had just happened. Stunned and confused, he plopped down to the curb.

Rachel had been crushing on him and chasing after him (regardless if he was with Quinn or not) for the last two years but now when he was practically on his knees, begging her to be with him, she freaked out on him and all but told him she wasn't interested anymore. Just like that.

It didn't matter that he'd pulled out all the stops and did the romantic movie dinner thing (and he didn't grow any female organs, contrary to Puck's teasing), or that he could swear Rachel wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss her. It didn't matter because even if she loved him, she loved her dreams more. He admired it about her that she could dream so big but now he understood that was also why they could never be together. He would always be just a Lima loser, nothing but a country boy, and what could he possibly offer this girl with a big voice and even bigger dreams? He would just be an anchor pulling her down. He had no idea what he'd been thinking in the first place. Maybe it was just the magical atmosphere of New York and Rachel's infectious enthusiasm that put the stupid illusions into his head.

As if the evening wasn't bad enough yet, it started to rain. With a grunt, Finn put the collar of his suit jacket up and put his long legs to use.

He got lost a couple of times, though, and by the time he found their hotel, he was soaking wet and his suit was all but ruined. He snuck into the room, hoping the guys were already asleep.

The room was dark all right but as his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he saw all the beds were empty. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who was sneaking out.

Not caring about his suit and just wanting to sulk himself to sleep, he threw himself on the nearest bed but froze hearing a muffled squeak. Did someone bring a stuffed animal or something? He wouldn't put it past Puck. Then there was a mop of hair coming up from under the covers and a pair of hands flailing blindly at him.

"What the-!" Finn began but was cut off by one of the hands connecting painfully with his nose. "Ouch!"

"Finn?" came a sleep-heavy voice Finn would recognize anywhere.

"Kurt?" he asked bewildered. Then he pouted reproachfully. "Why did you _hit_ me?"

"Why did you _sit_ on me?" Kurt hissed a reply, sitting up and turning on the night lamp.

"I thought it was my bed!" Finn exclaimed. "And I thought you'd be sleeping with the girls."

Kurt folded his hands on his chest. "Yes, well, _clearly_, you think too much. I'm sleeping here. Unfortunately. Believe me, I'd have done anything not to sleep in this sty-" he looked around the positively thrashed room wrinkling his nose. "-and it's not like any of you guys would miss me anyway. You didn't even notice me leave. But Mr. Schue made it clear it wasn't an option."

"Hey, it wasn't like you wanted to hang out with us! You disappeared as soon as you got the chance. One moment you were here and the next you vanished!" Finn said with somewhat of a huff because he could have really used Kurt's help before the dinner but he didn't dare venture inside the girls' room to get him.

"Can you blame me?" Kurt groaned. "Puck was starting a belching contest."

"We didn't actually get to that, you know. You could have stayed."

Kurt sighed. "Finn, I don't talk video games or 'chicks'. And the girls had an interesting alternative."

Finn was about to reply but his eyes focused on Kurt's hair. He blinked. "Dude…are these _feathers _in your hair?" he asked incredulously, reaching out and plucking a white fluffy feather from the countertenor's hair.

Kurt's cheeks took on a pinkish hue.

"What exactly was that _alternative_?" Finn said suspiciously.

"Never mind," Kurt mumbled.

Finn eyed him, turning the feather in his fingers. Suddenly a thought dawned on him.

"Did you have a _pillow fight with the girls_, Kurt?" he asked with disbelief, suddenly connecting the facts, and his brother's deepening blush was all the answer he needed. "And you didn't call us?"

"I thought you were too busy with your belching," Kurt managed a dry retort despite his embarrassment and Finn had to admire him for keeping his cool like that. "But you weren't. You weren't even in the room and the rest of the Rat Pack was leaving in such a hurry when I got here that I didn't even get to ask them about you. So, where the hell have you been? And why haven't you replied to any of my texts?"

"I was...outside," Finn said vaguely. "And my phone died."

"Outside," Kurt repeated skeptically. "You'd better give me something better, Finn Hudson. And don't- eek!" he let out an undignified screech he'd later deny as Finn suddenly shifted and icy water droplets landed on his face and hands. "You're wet! Get off my bed and get yourself in dry clothes now!"

"Look who's Mr. Bossy Pants now," Finn deadpanned and Kurt swatted him on the shoulder. "Ouch again, dude!"

"You deserved it," the other boy replied levelly crossing his hands on his chest.

Finn pouted but went to the bathroom to throw his pajamas on. He decided it was best not to argue because Kurt had his 'don't argue, I'm right and you're wrong' face he always had when he gave Burt his diet schedule. When he came out, the other boy was waiting for him in the still empty room.

"So, where _is_ everyone?" Finn asked.

Kurt shrugged. "The last I saw them, Puck was carrying an accordion – don't ask me how or why he got it – and they were going off talking about throwing stuff off of Brooklyn Bridge."

"An _accordion_? That's like a musical instrument, right?" Finn asked bewildered. "What would they need it for?"

"Do I don't know," Kurt groaned. "Maybe to throw it off the Bridge," he added wryly.

Finn chuckled lightly. The smaller boy narrowed his eyes at him.

"So, where were you?"

Finn sighed. "I don't want to talk about it, ok?"

Kurt's eyes widened. "Oh God, please tell me you didn't try to surf on top of subway trains."

"What? I just _said_ I saw it on TV and it looked cool, I'd never actually do that!" Finn said indignantly. "I'm too tall, anyways," he added.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "And you didn't punch the horse cabby out of his seat and take the horse out for a ride all over New York?"

"Geez, I was just joking around with Puck about that, Kurt!" Finn groaned.

"Puck didn't sound like he was joking," Kurt remarked. "And you have a history of not being able to say no to him _and_ an uncanny talent to get yourself into trouble. Add to that the fact that we're in _the biggest city in the country_ and I can understand why our parents made me swear on my McQueen sweater collection to look after you," he finished with an unhappy frown.

"I'm not twelve!"

Kurt sighed. "Height-wise you're not. Otherwise – debatable," he said. "And it was that or an ankle monitor so I think you got off easy," he snapped. "I'd have put the monitor on you," he added earning himself a scowl from Finn. He pouted. "So? Will you tell me? Or do I have to use other means of persuasion?"

That actually sounded pretty scary, which was a feat considering Kurt was wearing flannel pajamas with little bears on it, his hair was ruffled and he looked no more than twelve. Finn had learned _never_ to underestimate his brother's bear pajamas, though.

"Ok, ok, just don't do anything to my Xbox or hair!"

Kurt nodded with satisfaction, his lips a grim line. "Then start talking."

"I took Rachel to dinner, ok?"

The other boy didn't seem that much surprised. "We did wonder where she'd disappeared to," he mused then turned his gaze back to Finn. "And?"

"And nothing," Finn sighed, running a hand through his hair. "When I wanted to kiss her on the way back, she…ran away. I guess she saw New York, she saw me, and she ran away from me into New York. Not that I blame her," he added self-deprecatingly, letting his head drop in defeat.

Kurt looked at him sympathetically. Knowing Rachel and her love of drama, this couldn't have been pretty.

"I'm sorry, Finn."

"I guess it's my fault." Finn shrugged. "I should have known once she saw the big world, she wouldn't want to settle for some small town loser like me anymore. I had my chance and I blew it. Now she's out of my league."

"A week ago I'd say you just need a break from girls and all the drama," Kurt said. "And that you should try focusing on yourself for a change because, to quote Sammy Davis, you can't really be right for someone else if you're not right for yourself," he stopped to look at Finn, who was watching him expectantly. "But now I see that just wouldn't work for you."

Finn's eyebrows drew together. He didn't have the slightest idea where this was going.

"Do you really want her back?" Kurt asked quietly.

Finn stared at him for a few seconds before biting down on his lower lip because Kurt was now looking at him like he could see right through him. With anyone else that would have been creepy but with Kurt, it was strangely ok. Finn knew he could expose himself to him and Kurt wouldn never be judge or ridicule him. Not when it came to the important stuff.

"Like nothing else in the world," he admitted softly.

"So I thought," Kurt sighed but his tone indicated that he was expecting that answer. He scrambled out of his bed. "Get dressed. We're going out."

"We are?" the taller boy mumbled, completely confused.

"Just get dressed and trust me, ok?"

Finn looked slightly shifty. "You're not going to take me into some dark alley, throttle me and chop into pieces for spilling all of that gelly stuff you put in your hair, right?"

Kurt blinked. "You spilled _what_?" he exclaimed.

"The bathroom here's small and you left it on the edge of the sink and I turned and-"

Kurt raised a hand to silence him. "You're lucky we need you to win," he said with a long-suffering sigh. "And that ever since we started to live together, I have a spare of everything that's even slightly breakable. Now get dressed before I lose my patience."

"Ok."

After fifteen minutes of brisk walk, they stopped in the most unexpected place.

"What do you see?" Kurt asked turning to Finn.

"Um...is this a trick question?"

"No." Kurt rolled his eyes. "And it's not hard, either. Just say the first thing that comes to your mind, Finn."

Finn scrunched his face in an attempt to focus. "Um...Lots of flashy commercials?"

"Finn, I know it's late but try to look with your eyes wide _shut_ for once."

"You know that doesn't really make sense, right? How can I-"

"When did you become Logic Boy?" Kurt rolled his eyes. "Just try," he urged. "What do you think Rachel saw when she was standing here today? Coke commercials or something else altogether?"

Thoughtfully, Finn looked around Times Square once more.

"If you can see what she saw, then maybe you're not such a lost cause as you think," Kurt prodded gently, watching his brother expectantly.

Finn sighed but took another look around, this time giving more thought to what wasn't immediately obvious – the smells and the colors, the sounds and the people, the atmosphere and an almost imperceptible vibration in the air that spoke of...Suddenly everything seemed to click and the taller boy looked at Kurt with a spark of excitement burning in his eyes. Finn had never had an epiphany before but if that wasn't it, then he didn't know what was.

"She saw her dreams, right?" he asked Kurt. "She saw that she's not just a small town girl with illusions of grandeur-" he stopped for a moment at that (he could totally use big words if he really tried – he'd been living with Kurt for almost a year now, something was bound to stick!), and Kurt nodded in approval. "-but that she can actually make it. She can dream big and be big."

Kurt smiled. "And so can _you_. Because you are not a Lima loser, Finn Hudson. You just have to believe in it."

Finn turned to him with an admiring gaze. Kurt always made things clear and simple for him, and somehow he made Finn feel good about himself in the process, too. Still, he had to ask.

"How do you know I'm not? Why do you believe so much in me, Kurt?"

The other boy gave him a scrutinizing gaze. "Because I know you," he replied finally. "I know you don't talk about it, and people usually don't bother going beyond your goofy jock exterior but there's much more to you than meets the eye. You're strong, kind and loyal, Finn. You've grown to be a leader. You'll make something of your life and our parents will be proud of you. _I_ will be proud of you."

Finn was speechless for a moment. "You know most of that is because I know _you_, right?" he said, his voice a little choked, and Kurt looked at him surprised. "Two years ago I'd never have thought I could meet anybody like you, and I'm a better person for it. You taught and showed me _so much_, Kurt. I honestly can't imagine my life without you in it anymore, dude."

"And the Sap Man strikes again," Kurt quipped but his eyes were glassy. "I swear, no one can make me cry as fast as you can."

"Even Oprah?"

Kurt let out a teary chuckle. "Ok, you and Oprah."

Finn grinned. "I like the sound of that."

Kurt smiled at him. "Finn, you're not the only one who's better off with the way things turned out. Having you as a brother-" He shook his head. "You make me laugh, Finn. Really _laugh_. And when I'm with you, I just...feel safe. It's something I haven't had in a long time so thank you."

Finn stared at him. While he held a great deal of respect for Kurt's strength and the way he acted like no one could touch him, he liked seeing his brother vulnerable for change, and just being himself. Because this was the _real _Kurt, and Finn knew not many people ever saw him open up like that.

"Ok, that was bad," Kurt broke the silence, a wry smile on his face, and Finn knew the tough-as-nails Kurt was back.

"Yeah, it was slightly cheesy," Finn said wryly and the countertenor swatted him over the chest.

Finn chuckled lightly. Grinning, he breathed in the chilly night breeze sweeping through midnight Manhattan. If Kurt didn't think he was a loser, then he wasn't. All he had to do now was make Rachel see that. He felt very determined and so much better about himself. All thanks to his brother.

His brother, who looked like he wasn't appreciating the night air very much right now, shivering all over. Without thinking, Finn pulled him closer and slung an arm around him. Kurt didn't protest and gratefully leaned into his side figuring he'd never get tired of the way Finn could engulf him whole in his embrace and make him feel protected.

"You're like a furnace," he muttered wryly but there was no barb in his voice. "How can you stay so warm in these temperatures?"

"I'm just hot like that," Finn replied with a nonchalant shrug and they both chuckled.

They watched the night life of the heart of the city for a while longer in companionable silence. No words were necessary.

Finn really liked New York.

**XxXxXxX**

Something changed. Finn didn't know what exactly but he knew there was something. After they'd lost, this time Kurt stood up for him, defending him against the wrath of Santana and the rest of the club, and he didn't say one reproachful word about the kiss. He sat with him on the plane back and even though they didn't speak (Finn cowered behind his copy of Sky Mall), he knew Kurt had his back.

After the return, they became...sincerely comfortable with each other, and Finn found himself following Kurt to his room or going in unannounced without fear of being maimed on many occasions. In their last week of school, he wished he had announced himself, though.

"Kurt, I need help with my English essay…oh my God! Why isn't your door _shut_?" Finn exclaimed in pure mortification, his English book falling to his feet as his hands flew up to cover his eyes. "Seriously, dude, shutting the door is good!"

Both Kurt and Blaine, who were in Kurt's bed with their shirts more off than on, bolted up to a sitting position. Blaine looked like his brain was seriously damaged and Kurt turned a rather magnificent shade of red. If Finn weren't so horrified by walking in on them, he'd have been rolling on the floor and snapping photos, not necessarily in that sequence, because their faces made for a hilarious sight. But he _was _horrified so he just stood there rooted to the spot, gaping at them.

Blaine was the first to break the silence. He dropped his gaze and started buttoning his almost fully undone shirt. "Sorry about that, Finn. We didn't think…someone was in the house."

"Because there shouldn't be," Kurt finally spoke, narrowing his eyes at Finn.

It was Finn's turn to blush. "I'm sorry, guys," he mumbled, dropping his gaze. "I came back early and there's this last essay I have to turn in and I thought you could help and-" realizing he was babbling, he let his voice trail.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and Finn started backing out of the room. One should think Finn would be used to it by now but he really _hated_ being on the receiving end of that look so he decided to scram before he made a complete fool out of himself.

"You know, never mind, I'll call Rach or something and…lock myself in the basement…and you…you go on with…whatever…um, good luck."

"Finn, wait," Blaine stopped him, barely able to hide his amusement. "I've got to be back in Westerville and I was just on my way out before we…got sidetracked," he finished looking at Kurt, pink coloring his cheeks. He turned back to Finn. "So you stay and I'll go."

"Don't _I _have anything to say on who's going to do what in my own room?" Kurt asked sharply from his sitting position on the bed.

His hair was ruffled and his clothes in disarray but as he stared them both down with his arms crossed and a pout in place, he looked positively regal. Finn wondered if it was the Prom Queen thing because he looked _really_ intimidating.

Blaine didn't seem all that intimidated, though, and Finn had to admit it was impressive. He chuckled lightly and reached out to cup Kurt's face. He drew him closer and placed a lingering kiss on his lips.

"Of course you have," he whispered breaking the kiss after a moment and staring Kurt in the eyes. "But you know I have to go and your brother needs your help, babe," he said softly.

The countertenor seemed to forget how to speak. He just nodded slowly, his eyes glued to Blaine's.

"Ok," he finally squeaked out weakly.

Blaine smiled and let his fingers trail the outline of his boyfriend's face.

"This is so cool, dude," Finn muttered from behind them. "You're like, the Kurt Whisperer or something!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Could you teach me?"

Blaine straightened up and picked up his jacket from the floor. "I'm afraid it involves rather a lot of soft skills-" he glanced at Kurt peevishly. "-and I doubt you'd be able to pull it off. Or if I'd let you. I'm quite possessive that way," he added giving Kurt quite a smoldering look.

"Um, ok. But I'm putting you on speed-dial," Finn decided.

The Warbler chuckled. "My working hours are from nine to five. Don't call after midnight or on the weekends. You're on your own then."

"Very much on your own," Kurt said menacingly and Finn swallowed.

Blaine shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on the countertenor's cheek. "Be good and try not to kill your brother," he requested wryly.

Kurt smiled evilly. "But I can maim?"

Finn's eyes widened comically at that and Blaine had to put everything he had to stop himself from bursting out with laughter.

"Fine," he shrugged, managing to keep a straight face. "I guess maiming's ok."

"Hey!" Finn exclaimed. "You're gonna drive off and I'm staying here with him! _And_ my car's broken so I can't even really escape!"

"Oh, you know he only looks so scary," Blaine said smirking at Kurt. "Deep inside, he's as sweet and harmless as a Care Bear."

"Hey!" this time it was Kurt's turn to be indignant.

Finn eyed him skeptically. "It has to be _really _deep inside."

The black-haired boy was still trying to keep his composure as he moved to the door. He thought it wouldn't be a good idea right now to tell those two they were the most adorable siblings he'd ever seen.

"Ok, I think I'm gonna go now or _I'll_ end up maimed by _both_ of you," he said. "I'll see myself out. And see you tomorrow, ok?" he turned to his boyfriend.

"Ok," Kurt nodded.

"Bye, Finn," Blaine said going past him and giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Stay alive," he said wryly.

"Um, thanks. See you, man."

When he heard the click of the downstairs door, he turned back to his stepbrother.

"I think it's time we went through the lesson on the mystical, ancient art of _knocking_," Kurt stressed.

"I'm really sorry about that, Kurt but…what was that, dude? Usually you're far more careful and private. You know I'm cool with you and Blaine doing…whatever you're doing but you know your dad would like, show Blaine how to use his gutting knives, right? By gutting _him_."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "He would do no such thing. My dad loves Blaine."

"Yeah," Finn scoffed. "He may love him when you're holding hands and being all adorable together but I think he'd show him a different kind of love if he saw what I just saw."

"Ok, I get it!" Kurt snapped, throwing his hands in the air. "Jeez, why are you such a broken record about this?"

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you!" Finn shot back reproachfully. "I happen to like Blaine and don't think shotgun holes in the chest would do him much good."

Kurt sighed and plopped back on his bed. "I know," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"And also, I really don't need the images myself," Finn added wryly sitting next to Kurt and nudging him teasingly in the side.

Kurt smiled at him sideways. "Oh, get over it, Finn. You've seen it before and you're probably gonna see more of it."

"You seem strangely…chipper."

Kurt shot him a sideways glance and busied himself with brushing down the creases in his pants. "Do I?" he asked casually.

Finn huffed. "Maybe I'm not the quickest runner in the race but I do know you, Kurt. I've been here, like, _fifteen minutes_ and you still haven't started with your crazy prattle about Broadway and that _Crooked _thing. I think it's a first since we've been back from NY. What's going on?"

Kurt gasped. "_Wicked_, Finn."

The taller boy shrugged. "Hey, at least I remembered it's one word! Give me some credit here."

Kurt was looking like the only thing he'd be giving him was an unannounced midnight hair-cut so Finn decided to drop it.

"Don't think you'll do your fancy changing-the-subject thing," he said quickly. "What's the what, dude?"

Kurt sighed. He'd never been good at hiding his feelings but if even Finn saw it, it had to really show. Then again, how could it not when he was so utterly _happy_?

"Blaine told me he loves me," he announced, really liking the way the words rolled off his tongue.

Finn blinked. "Oh. Wow," he blurted. "That's…that's great, dude. I'm really happy for you," he said scratching the back of his head.

"But?"

"No, there's no but," Finn rushed to explain. "It's really cool that you get to feel this way and enjoy this sort of happiness. Cause you deserve to be loved, Kurt," he continued earnestly though he was starting to feel uneasy as Kurt gave him that half-adoring, half-shocked look. "I mean, your dad loves you and my mom definitely does as well, and I kinda do, too, but you know…in the dating sort of way?"

Kurt blinked at him and he had to wonder how his brother could sound so clueless yet make so much sense.

"Thank you," he finally uttered.

"Sure thing, man. And speaking about love…I got back with Rach."

"On everything that is holy and McQueen, _finally_," Kurt rolled his eyes. "Not that anyone could miss the holding hands and the lovey-dovey stares since we got back or _the kiss in front of some ten thousand people_ but I appreciate you telling me."

"Hey, you think you don't make 'lovey-dovey eyes' when you're with Blaine?"

Kurt turned up his nose. "Of course not. We're at a far more sophisticated level of our relationship."

Finn sniggered. "Yeah, I could see _how_ sophisticated just now when he was groping your-"

"Ok! Ok!" Kurt clamped a hand on the taller boy's mouth. "We're hormonal teenagers, too! Just like you," he rolled his eyes with a long-suffering sigh.

"Thank you," Finn grinned in satisfaction.

Kurt shook his head and spared him a curious if also worried look. "Finn, you know Rachel won't give up New York and Broadway, right? Even for you."

Finn nodded slowly. "I know. I kinda admire that about her. And it's her destiny or something so I'd never forgive myself if I stood between her and her dreams. I love her too much."

"So…you'll let her go next year? Just like that?"

"No. I'll go with her," Finn announced. "I've decided to go big, too. Just like you told me in Times Square."

"Not that I'm not all for it but...are you sure, Finn?" he asked tentatively. "You hate big cities. And you'd have to really start working on your grades."

Finn shrugged. "You're gonna help me, right? Sure, it's gonna be hard. But she's worth it. And you're going there, too, aren't you?"

Kurt nodded wordlessly. There was such determination in Finn's voice that he found himself lost for words. And quite impressed.

"It's settled then," Finn said softly. "The two people I love most are going to NY so it's not like I have much of a choice. And we can rent a flat together. It's not like we haven't lived together already for almost a year now anyway."

Kurt blinked as tears started to blur his vision. Gosh, he really cried too much, didn't he? But how could he not when this great boy in front of him was once again proving that meeting him was one of the best things that could ever happen to Kurt?

"Dude, don't cry!" Finn said in a panicky voice watching the changing emotions on his stepbrother's face. "We don't have to live together in NY if you don't want to! Just don't cry!"

Kurt let out a teary chuckle. "No, it's not that, Finn. I'm just really, really happy."

"So…you're happy" the taller boy said bewildered. "And you're crying?"

The countertenor rubbed at his eyes. "Yes."

"Um, ok," Finn conceded though he was still giving him wary glances. "And you'll let me live with you in New York?"

Kurt looked at him ruminatively. "We've really come a long way since last year, haven't we?" he mused. "Last year you were running away from me and now you're _asking_ me to live with you," he said but there was no pain in his voice. No more. Finn had redeemed himself more than once in his eyes. He had proven to Kurt he really cared about him and was indeed a 'new kind of jock'.

Finn looked at the smaller boy guiltily. "Kurt, if you don't want to, I'll understand and-"

Kurt raised his hand, stopping him. "You'll definitely have to work on your hygiene and learn how to wash and iron your clothes but I'm fine with it. As strange as it may be."

"Cool!" Finn exclaimed. "_Staaaart spreading the uh…news,_" he burst into the most off-key version of Sinatra Kurt had ever heard._ "I'm leaving tooooday! Errr… I want to be a part of iiiiit…_"

Kurt couldn't hold it any longer and laughed. "My ears!"

"_New Yooooork-" _Finn continued with a grin and Kurt knew he was only doing it to irritate him now.

"Stop it, Finn. Please, stop," he blurted out, reaching out to cover the other boy's mouth with his hand.

Finn's reflexes jumped in, though, and Kurt missed him. He went flying through the air where the other boy had been standing a second before. He still managed to grab Finn's tee to steady himself and the two of them tumbled to the ground to the sound of Finn's tee ripping.

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Oh Gaga, I can't breathe," Kurt mumbled after a long while.

"What? You didn't like my version of 'New York'?" Finn asked a little breathlessly.

"I think dear Frankie Sinatra is rolling over in his grave," Kurt replied with a laugh. "You could probably get it right if you rehearsed, _a lot_, but for now I'm begging you to never do this again."

"Could you teach me over the summer?" Finn asked sheepishly. "I want to impress Rachel...and it's a really cool song."

Kurt eyed him for a moment. "I didn't know you liked show tunes."

"I didn't use to. But now I do and it's your fault, dude. They're kinda great because there's always like, this story behind them. And the singers are really good. But if you ever mention it to Puck-"

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kurt assured him. "Especially since I need a favor – you're teaching me how to kill zombies over the summer."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say...I made a bet with Noah."

Finn raised an eyebrow at him. "That's a story I've got to hear."

"Maybe some other time," Kurt said evasively. "So?"

Finn smiled. "Anything that involves kicking Puck's ass and video games? Count me in," he said ruffling Kurt's hair.

The other boy glared, pushing his hands off.

"You can handle it," Finn said nonchalantly and to his amazement, Kurt didn't protest anymore. "This is gonna be one great summer," he sighed.

Kurt found himself grinning at him. "I believe it will, Finn Hudson."

Finn met Kurt's gaze and they laughed at what awaited them – him, disciplined and studying for better grades in senior year and learning how to sing show tunes, and Kurt, ruffled hair and smiling and playing video games.

However bumpy their beginnings were, and however tough and winding their path together, neither of them would change a thing because it got them to where they were now. Closer and better than they would have ever been apart.

When you stopped and thought about it, Furt's had a pretty good year.

* * *

The longest chapter yet! I hope I didn't give you toothache and you liked it:) Please review!

And now we've got four long months of Glee-starvation:(( Which means no more epi-based chapters for a while so I'd like to know if you want to read more Furt from me over the next months in this series (I really don't think I'm done with these two for quite a long time yet;) or should I put it to rest till September? Let me know – after all, this is for you:) As long as you want to read, I'll write:)


	40. The Way to a Brother's Heart is thru MD

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer:** Glee belongs to Ryan Murphy. I'm not Ryan Murphy. Therefore, Glee doesn't belong to me.

**A/N:** Ok, guys, seriously, you're spoiling me. Your response to the last chapter left me completely and utterly speechless. Just…holy cow, YOU. ARE. AMAZING.

**Thank you for all the love and support, this story would never go on this far if it wasn't for you! **

**And to make it official – I'll be continuing this throughout the summer holidays for you and I hope you'll stay with me and the adorable brothers;)**

_Best wishes for the birthday girl, **Bexta03**:) Stay well, m'dear!_

_Also, a shout-out and big thanks to all the anons, who left their reviews!_

* * *

**The Way To A Brother's Heart Is Through McDonald's**

The classes ended for the summer and the halls of McKinley High were emptying at a record pace. For once, Kurt Hummel was strutting the only too familiar corridors with a happy, unrestrained grin on his face. Never before had he been looking forward to summer so much.

He went to his locker to collect his things and his smile waned a little as he remembered the last time he had to do that. It seemed like a whole life-time had happened since he transferred to Dalton. In a way, it did. And in the end, he was better and stronger for it. Still, if he had a choice he wasn't sure he'd do it again. He got Blaine out of it but the pain and heartache it had all caused him was something he never wanted to experience again.

He surveyed the hall instinctively, half-expecting Karofsky to body-check him into his locker the moment he turned his back on the empty hall. But there was no one there and the hall was filled with nothing but silence – no bullies lurking behind corners, no jocks waiting with slushies, no nothing. He shook his head self-deprecatingly. Old habits die hard.

He turned back to his locker with a soft sigh and got back to packing.

He was putting the last of his notebooks into his bag when he heard a shuffling noise behind him. Clutching the strap of his bag tighter, he straightened up.

He rolled his eyes and snapped his locker shut.

"Ok, I _know_ you're there," he enunciated, not turning around. "I'm taking out my pepper spray right now."

There was a surprised yelp somewhere behind him, followed by a loud crash. Wide-eyed, Kurt watched none other than his stepbrother literally fly out of the broom closet and land on the floor in a heap. The football player's head made a blood-curdling, cracking sound as it hit the floor.

A snarky comment died on Kurt's lips as he saw Finn wasn't _moving_. All blood gone from his face, he let out a little yell and bolted for him, dropping to his knees before him and not caring he was polishing the McKinley floor with a 500 dollar pair of Balenciaga jeans. He'd fret over it later.

"F-Finn?" he asked, his voice filled with pure panic.

The taller boy remained silent and Kurt could swear his heart literally stopped as he waited for Finn to give him any sign of life.

"Kurt," the taller boy finally groaned, his eyes scrunched in pain. The countertenor let out a relieved sigh. "My head feels like it isn't attached."

Kurt swallowed. "It is," he assured him.

"It hurts."

"I know," Kurt said in a small voice, moving his brother's bangs away from his forehead.

Finn opened one eye and regarded the other boy silently for a moment. He could see Kurt was genuinely scared and possibly on the verge of tears judging by the glassy blue-green color of his eyes.

"It hurts but I'm _fine_, Kurt," he uttered trying to sound as soothing as possible. The other boy looked at him skeptically. "I'm good, really."

"You don't look like you're good. You look like you're about to die," Kurt said, his tone clipped. He removed his fingers from Finn's face and held them up in front of his eyes. "How many?"

Finn blinked. "I'm _ok_, Kurt. I'm a football player and I-"

"_How many_?" Kurt was unrelenting.

The taller boy squinted. "Three?"

"That's it," Kurt said decidedly straightening up. "We're going to see a doctor."

"Crap. There were two?" Finn bolted to a sitting position, trying to ignore the pounding in his temples. "I was joking. I see them now," he said with a light chuckle.

Kurt's lips creased into a thin line and he crossed his arms, his expression shifting from worried to furious.

"You, Finn Hudson, are a complete moron," he hissed. "What were you doing in the broom closet? And what made you think that breaking your fall with _your head_ was a good idea?"

Finn swallowed. "I was trying to keep my promise!"

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "When did you ever promise to break your head falling out of a broom closet?"

Finn huffed. "I knew there were no Bully Whips around anymore and I wanted to make sure you were fine but I know how you are about me hovering so I thought I'd be sneaky and hide in the closet. But it was slippery inside and when you spoke, I wasn't expecting it and I guess I slipped. It's nothing, Kurt. Really."

Kurt gritted his teeth. "It's not _nothing_, Finn. You always do this! You constantly pull off such stupid stunts and you _know_ you're the clumsiest person who ever lived and one of these days you'll end up seriously hurt or in a coma or-"

"Kurt, Kurt!" Finn stopped him. "It was just a broom closet and I tripped," he tried soothingly. He had an idea where this freak-out was coming from and he had to do something fast because Kurt was on the verge of hyper-ventilating. "I'm not in a coma and I'm not hurt. Well, apart from my pride," he added lightly, giving his brother a lopsided grin but the other teen's face remained tense.

Kurt swatted him on the shoulder angrily. "It isn't about the frigging broom closet, Finn! It's about _everything_! I can't constantly worry about you! I so don't need this! If you want to go to New York with me and Rachel, you're going to have to learn not to be so careless and take better care of yourself because-" his voice hitched in his suddenly very tight throat. Finn was looking at him wide-eyed. "-I don't know what I'd do without you, ok?" he finished softly, his eyes dropping.

Finn just stared at him, watching Kurt trying to compose himself. It was a rare occurrence for the smaller boy to get so worked up and Finn felt really bad for being the cause of that and for scaring him so much. Still, he was feeling quite awesome, too, because Kurt had all but admitted he wanted Finn in New York with him. He was treating it as if it were a done deal, and it was so cool.

"Um, that was really scary," Finn finally mumbled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm sorry, too," Kurt uttered in a small voice. "I didn't mean to bite your head off like that. I guess I'm a bit on edge."

"_A bit?"_

Kurt shook his head, sitting back on his heels. "It's just…Blaine's away for rehearsals for his Six Flags show in Chicago and my musical isn't going as smoothly as planned and I…" he let his voice trail.

"It's ok, buddy," Finn patted him on the shoulder awkwardly. "And you don't need to worry about me."

"You're my giant, clumsy dimwit of a brother. My _only_ brother," Kurt stressed. "Of course I worry."

Finn just nodded silently because even though Kurt was small and skinny, it was strangely reassuring to have him be this protective about him. Quite frankly, there was no one who Finn would want _more_ to protect him, if that made any sense.

He was shaken out of his reverie when Kurt stood up. "Come on, I'll take you home," he said, jangling his car keys.

"Thanks but I came in my car," the taller boy said scrambling to his feet slowly because his head was still feeling a bit strange.

"Whether it can be called a car is debatable," Kurt quipped. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you drive after you tried to crack the floor with your head and almost _succeeded_?"

"Well, it's a really ugly floor," Finn retorted as they made their way to the parking lot.

Kurt pouted but there was atwinkle of humor in his eyes as he spoke. "The aesthetic values of the floor aside, I don't feel like explaining to our parents that I let you drive with a cracked skull."

"I'm _fine_," Finn moaned.

The smaller boy stopped and put his hands on his hips, giving him a look. Finn swallowed.

"I can't believe you're still arguing with me about this, Finn. Get in now."

Finn looked at him defiantly.

Kurt sighed. "Let me put it this way. It's ninety degrees and your car doesn't even have air con. Not to mention a 14-speaker Surround sound system or a four wheel drive with 300 horsepower. Do you really want to pass out on all that just to satisfy some warped, manly sense of pride?" he asked with an innocent smile and proceeded to put his bag in the back of the Navigator.

Finn pouted. Then he went to the driver's seat.

"Stupid shiny Navigator owner," he grumbled as he got in.

"What was that?" Kurt asked jumping behind the wheel.

"Just drive," Finn said crossing his hands and staring ahead.

Kurt was barely able to hide his smirk as he started the engine.

"Would you really use pepper spray on me?" Finn asked after a while.

"I'm _still_ considering it," Kurt informed him pleasantly.

"I…appreciate the warning," the taller boy said wryly, sitting back a little and closing his eyes.

Kurt shot him a sideways glance as they stopped at a red light. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Sure," Finn cracked an eye open. "Just hungry."

Kurt chuckled. "You can't have hit your head this bad then."

"I told ya."

They rode in silence for a while. Kurt glanced a couple of times at his stepbrother and sighed. Ever since their return from Nationals, the other boy had practically become his shadow and with the stunts he pulled, Kurt was amazed that it was only now that Finn hurt himself. It was endearing but it had to stop.

"Finn, just because my dad told you to, doesn't mean you have to follow me everywhere," Kurt began. "I _can_ take care of myself."

The other boy opened his eyes again and looked at him. "Of course you can. I know that. You're tough and brave and stuff, and ever since you came back, you've been kind of kick ass, actually."

Kurt smiled a little at the compliment. It was such a Finn thing to say. "So why the stalking?"

"What stalking?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Just because I didn't _do_ anything about it before doesn't mean I didn't see you lurking in the corridors whenever I turned, Finn. You're not exactly easy to miss, you know."

"Even when I hid behind the Earth globe thingy in geography? I thought no one saw me!" he said disappointed. "I so pulled off a sneaky ninja!"

"Finn, you're about as sneaky as an elephant trying to hide by standing behind a pole," Kurt said wryly. "_Everyone_ saw you. You got lucky because Miss White is blind as a bat," he added wryly. "And really, Finn. Behind the _globe_? I guess I should be glad I didn't find you in the stall in the boy's room, shouldn't I?"

"Crossed my mind," Finn mumbled.

Kurt shot him an incredulous glance.

"I just…don't trust the Bully Whips, ok?" Finn struggled with words. "I know you're strong and stuff but I don't want you to have to be like that all the time. It can't be easy and you deserve a break, man. That's what I'm here for. You can be weak sometimes, you know, and no one will think any less of you, Kurt. And if they do, I'll be there to punch their face off."

The countertenor sighed. "The thing is, I'm not _good_ at being weak. I've had to be strong for me, for my dad, for _everyone_ for so long that I don't think I know how to let go any more," he said softly. "And I don't want you to feel obligated to protect me. I'm not helpless, Finn."

"I know. The pepper spray," Finn said wryly but then his expression became serious. "But dude, it's not an _obligation_. And it's not a matter of _protecting_ you because I _do_ know you can handle yourself just fine," he assured him. "It's just…I've been sitting back watching you get hurt for way too long before I finally pulled my head out of my ass and stood up for you. I'm not making that mistake again. You're not the only one who worries about his only brother, ok?" he added gruffly and looked out the side window. "Even if he's a snappy diva who talks way too much."

Kurt didn't even try to hide the tenderness in his eyes as he glanced at Finn.

"Thank you. I try," he said with a good-natured huff.

Finn turned back to him, a smile playing on his lips as their gazes locked.

"And I don't know what I'd do without you, too," he said. Then he groaned seeing Kurt arch an eyebrow at him. "Jeez, I swear I'm not such a sap with anyone else but you, man. And the worst part is, I don't care."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"

"Both," Finn said with a teasing grin, which turned into a frown as Kurt took a left. "Dude, home's the other way."

"I see you haven't completely lost your sense of direction," Kurt replied levelly. "We're not going home," he informed him.

"You're not kidnapping me to force me to get a haircut or something, are you?"

"A tempting thought. Maybe next week," the smaller boy smiled at him evilly. "But right now we're going to McDonald's," he added, his eyes not leaving the road.

"Do you, like, have another of your 'eat healthy or die young' interventions with Mercedes or something?" Finn asked with alarm. "Cause if you do, I'm not getting out of the car. I'm already banned from Burger King because of you."

"No." Kurt's lips twitched upwards. "We're going to eat."

Finn blinked, processing the information. "Did you hit your head, too?" he asked incredulously after a while.

"Unfortunately not," he replied levelly, shooting a sideways glance at Finn. He sighed seeing the other boy was still suspicious. "You got a nasty bump on your head looking over me-" he finally said with a long-suffering sigh. "-and however ill-conceived and unnecessary that was, it was still…sweet and I appreciate it."

Flabbergasted, Finn just stared at him. "Are you…a pod person?" he asked when the silence began to hang heavily between them.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "And it's officially the end of school," he continued. "So, all things considered, I think I can sacrifice myself this once and we can celebrate your way. By clogging our arteries with mass-produced, grease-filled mystery meat," he added pointedly.

"Really?" Finn uttered happily.

Kurt shook his head, knowing nothing he said could rain on Finn's junk food parade. Besides, he doubted Finn even knew what _arteries _were.

"But after that, I'm putting you on a healthy summer diet. Lots of fruit and vegetables," he stated. "Because if you don't cut on the Cheetos and pizza, your teeth will fall out and you'll get a heart attack by the time you're thirty."

"Ok," Finn said and Kurt knew he didn't hear a word he said, still stuck at 'cheeseburger'.

"You'll agree to anything as long as you get your burger, won't you?"

Finn grinned. "Pretty much," he nodded. "Do Doritos really make your teeth fall out?" he asked with alarm after a while, his hand wandering to his mouth on instinct.

"Do you want to find out?" Kurt shot back, a smile playing on his lips.

Finn grumbled something unintelligible in reply and all but jumped out of the car as soon as they stopped at MDs. Kurt took a while longer and eyed the building warily.

"Come on!" Finn urged him happily, pushing his way through the door.

With a sigh, Kurt followed. He did bring this on himself.

When they stood in the line, Kurt stared at the menu blankly - everything sounded equally disgusting and greasy. He _never_ ate here and there was a good reason why. He thought of all the grease all but flying in the air and mourned his poor stomach and complexion. He looked back to the menu, resigned to his fate. Well, there were a couple of salad choices at least. That couldn't be too bad.

Finn watched his stepbrother from the corner of his eye, his grin widening. Kurt was paler than usual and Finn could swear he was trying not to breathe. When their turn came, he quickly ordered four cheeseburgers and two cokes before Kurt had a chance to speak. The smaller boy glared at him.

"Hey, I remembered to get you a diet coke!"

Kurt still glared as he handed the cashier the money. Finn took the bulging bag of cheeseburgers, handing his brother his coke, and headed outside.

"Where are you going?" Kurt asked catching up to him.

"To the park on the other side of the street."

The countertenor shook his head and followed, once again wondering what had possessed him to do this in the first place.

Once they were settled on the grass under a tree, Finn dug into his first burger immediately. Kurt busied himself with applying a liberal amount of sunscreen to his face and hands, which made little sense to Finn because hey, they were _in the shade_ but he knew better than to come between Kurt and his skin care so he went back to eating.

Done with the sunscreen, Kurt took a deep sigh and unwrapped his own burger. He eyed it suspiciously.

"I feel like I'm gaining weight just by staring at it," he mumbled.

Finn chuckled. "Then there's no harm in actually eating it."

Kurt shook his head, already feeling the grease sticking all the pores of his facial skin. He started to scrape out the onions and ketchup. If he was doing this, he at least wanted to taste the actual burger and he didn't want to smell of onions afterwards.

Finn watched him with amusement. He was tempted to take a photo because he had never seen his stepbrother with a hamburger before and he doubted he would again anytime soon. Hitting his head was so worth this. It was fun to see Kurt take a cautious bite and chew slowly as if he was afraid the burger would explode in his mouth or something.

The other fun part was that Kurt seemed to think that mayo and hamburger fat were toxic or something, and Finn had a great time threatening him with his greasy hands.

"If you get any of this on my shirt, I will do unspeakable things to you," Kurt said menacingly.

Finn shrugged and reached for his second burger.

"You'd better enjoy this while it lasts, Hudson," Kurt warned him.

Finn did. When he finished the third burger, he laid on the grass, putting his head in Kurt's lap. The smaller boy didn't protest, leaning against the tree trunk comfortably. Finn couldn't believe how well this year turned out. Sure, he'd almost single-handedly lost them Nationals and had to seriously steer away from Santana for a while but they got another year. And he got Rachel out of all that.

And Kurt. It seemed like they'd finally gotten it right and the easiness they were now sharing? Now that he got it, he never wanted to lose it. He wanted to be a guy Kurt wanted to meet not because he felt obligated to but because he wanted to. Because he liked spending time with him, and meant a lot to him and he kind of loved, and who'd proven he was worthy of that love. Finn had always wanted a brother, and even though he didn't count in the biting sarcasm or the mad color-coordinating skills, he couldn't be more lucky and he wasn't going to let anything come in between them, especially not something as trivial as distance. NY was a given.

"Finn, I can _hear_ you thinking."

The taller boy smiled lazily. "It's just…it all turned out so well this year, right?"

"Against all odds," Kurt mused.

He looked down at Finn and smiled. He used to be an outcast forced into loneliness because he was different. It taught him to trust no one and keep his feelings bottled up. That attitude kept him from getting hurt. But it also pushed people away.

Finn proved to him that sometimes it was worth to trust other people, and even give them a second chance because everyone screwed up from time to time, and it didn't mean they didn't care or love you. Now he had a boyfriend, a brother and a bunch of devoted, if positively crazy and dramatic, friends.

Yeah, everything really _had_ turned out well. He looked at Finn.

"How's your head?"

"It's fine…but I don't think I'll be able to clean up my room today," the taller boy added quickly. "Or tomorrow."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "No worries. You'll be doing it the whole summer anyway," he said pleasantly. "Right after eating your daily portion of carrots."

Finn sighed, steeling himself for Camp Kurt.

* * *

So, I really hope you liked this – it's the first of the many summer chapters I've got in store for you to get us through the Glee-less times;)

If Furt makes you smile, squeal, flail wildly (or basically makes you do or feel anything at all), please review;)

**PS. **Also, guys, I've _finally_ set up an account on Tumblr! It's a work-in-progress and I'm still learning the ropes but feel free to drop by, add me, send over your prompts/ideas or just talk to me…or whatever else it is that ppl do on Tumblr;) It's Stardust585 . tumblr . com.


	41. Beauty and the Beast

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee = Awesome, but Glee ≠ Mine :/

**A/N: **I'm practically falling onto the keyboard posting this so please forgive me if there are any typos or inconsistencies – I just really wanted to update today for you since it's been quite a while since I did! I'm sorry for that but life's been really hectic these last two weeks.

And just so you know – I don't have the words to express how touched I am by each review, fave and alert. Please just know that your words mean a lot. Really:)

Enjoy!

* * *

_~ Six Flags Chronicles Part I ~_

**Beauty and the Beast**

"Finn, it's for you," Carole informed her son handing him the phone.

Finn unglued his eyes from the game he was watching with Burt and looked at his mom in bewilderment.

"But you've been on the phone for the last twenty minutes," he said scrunching his forehead. "Is it grandma?"

"No, it's Rachel."

Finn's eyes widened. "You've been talking to _Rachel_? What about?"

"I think you know," Carole said pointedly. "But I'll let her tell you herself."

Finn swallowed. "Um, ok," he mumbled taking the phone somewhat fearfully. "Hey, Rach. Oh, yeah, the pet name I'm supposed to call you…" he let his voice trail.

Kurt, who was sitting in his favorite armchair filing his nails and reading the newest Vogue, looked up at that and Finn could swear his ears pricked up. He shifted uneasily and Kurt arched an eyebrow at him, a grin worthy of the Cheshire cat growing on his lips.

Finn turned away and covered the speaker with his hand. "But I'm not alone and-" he stopped short. "Ok, _fine_," he sighed, trying not to meet his stepbrother's gaze as he mumbled, "Hi, hunny bunny."

Kurt promptly snickered, followed by his mom, and even Burt looked away from the game to give his stepson an amused look, and Finn could see he was trying not to laugh, too.

He felt his face growing hot. "What was that? Oh, nothing, just my manly dignity going through the window," he said standing up and going out of the living room.

"Say hi to your bunny from me!" Kurt said after him.

Finn glared at him and disappeared in the hall. Carole and Kurt exchanged looks.

"It's about the play again, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yup," Carole confirmed. "I've got to hand it to the girl, she's one stubborn little thing."

"You have no idea," Kurt sighed.

"And is it just me or does she sound like a humming bird on steroids?"

"That's on her _quiet_ days, believe me."

Shaking her head, Carole chuckled lightly just as Finn came back into the room and plopped himself on the couch next to his mom with a disgruntled huff.

"So?" Carole asked.

Finn shot her a sideways look.

"No way."

"It's a really good idea, honey."

"I'm not doing it," he said crossing his hands and not caring that he sounded like a spoiled ten-year-old. It was his manly pride and dignity on the line.

"Rachel called me at work yesterday about this and-"

Finn's eyes widened. "You've talked with Rachel on the phone _before today_? Like, about _me_?"

"Yes, Finn," Carole said rolling her eyes. "The girl really cares about you. In a slightly scarily intense way but that's not the point right now. The point is we both think you should do it."

Finn didn't seem to be listening, still absorbing the fact that his girlfriend was apparently best buddies with his mom and how screwed that made him.

"How does Rachel even _have_ your number?" he finally blurted.

"I thought she got it from you."

"No, she didn't," Finn denied. "I'd never do this to myself."

Carole shot him a knowing glance. "Don't worry, I haven't told her any of the really embarrassing childhood stories. Well, the one about you splashing naked in our neighbor's koi pond when you were four might have slipped in there somewhere but apart from that...," she added teasingly.

"_Mom_!"

Kurt watched the back and forth between mother and son with wide eyes. This was the best family TV night ever and he wasn't even watching the TV (it was the NBA playoffs, which meant his dad and Finn had been hogging the pilot all evening)

He had been sitting despondently filing his nails, resigned to his fate of watching his brother and father either roar in protest or high five depending on the score every five seconds, shooting them his best snobby disparaging looks but it was no fun compared to this. And he owed it all to Rachel's uncanny pain-in-the-assness. Kurt groaned inwardly at his violation of the English language. He was spending way too much time with Finn. Which, come to think of it, he owed to Rachel as well. His stepbrother had been shunning her for the last couple of days, ever since she began her unrelenting campaign to get Finn to join her in the play her community theatre was putting on.

"Why are you so stubborn about this?" Carole asked with exasperation, making Kurt tune back into the conversation. "I thought you liked performing."

"I like _singing_, mom."

"From what Rachel told me, there's plenty of singing in it."

"But there's also dancing and...and _acting_," Finn said with horror. "I could kill somebody. I can't do this. Not in front of people who aren't, you know, Glee Club."

"Honey, you performed before hundreds of people in New York," Carole tried to persuade him. "This is just Lima and the audience of parents and friends."

"Parents and friends can throw fruit, too," Finn mumbled darkly.

Carole sighed. "No one will throw fruit at you!"

Finn groaned. Why wasn't his mom letting this go? Helpless, he decided to go for his final argument.

"It's for little children," he said in a clipped tone. "And they want me to wear a _teacup_ on my head."

"That's because it's a rendition of _Beauty and the Beast_," Kurt interjected pointedly, feeling morally and artistically obliged to step in. "And apparently you'll be playing Chip," he said with a raised eyebrow, giving Finn a measured glance. "Though honestly, the person responsible for casting should have their head checked. I mean, you as a little enchanted teacup? You're sure it isn't a parody?"

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't know what that is but I resent that. I so can play a little teacup," he said defiantly. Kurt arched an amused eyebrow at him. "If I wanted," Finn added quickly seeing his mom was opening her mouth to say something. "But I don't," he stated categorically.

"It would mean so much to us if you did it," Carole said looking to Burt, who nodded absent-mindedly, ungluing his eyes from the TV for a while. "We didn't get to see you at Nationals or Regionals and we'd so like to see you perform."

"You...you saw me perform at the wedding!" Finn stuttered defensively, swallowing. He was starting to wonder if you could brainwash someone over the phone because Rachel totally did that to his mom.

"It's not the same, honey," Carole said. "And besides, it would give you something to do at least over the next month."

"It's the _summer break_!" Finn exclaimed indignantly. "I'm supposed to do _nothing_! I think there's a rule about that."

Carole sighed in exasperation. "Finn, it may have been so in the previous years but this is the summer before your senior year. I don't think you should be doing _nothing_. Especially if you want to go to New York to college. Just look at your brother – he's already signed up for additional honors and AP courses, volunteers at a Cat Rescue, helps Burt in the garage _and_ he's writing his own play."

Carole looked at her stepson affectionately and Kurt gave her an angelic little smile in return.

"Actually, it's a musical," he corrected with a modest shrug.

"That is incredible, honey," Carole praised and stroked his cheek.

Finn really wanted to punch him.

"I wanted to help at the garage, too!" he protested.

Burt turned his attention away from the TV. He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Finn, I'm sorry to say no but I'm genuinely afraid you'd hurt yourself in there."

"And break things," Kurt added.

Finn scowled at his stepbrother, who gave him an innocent shrug and went back to filing his nails. He seemed to be the embodiment of innocence, his legs neatly tucked under him and his eyes big and blue but Finn wasn't a complete idiot – he could see the smirk Kurt was barely holding back.

"It's true, honey," Carole agreed, her tone apologetic. "There's a reason we only have hanging lamps in this house."

"Well, if Kurt's so great, writing plays and not breaking things, why doesn't _he_ play the stupid teacup?"

Kurt was opening his mouth but Carole was faster.

"This isn't about Kurt, honey," she said, her tone soothing. "It's about you. We already agreed we'd let you both boys go to New York to college and help you as much as we can but you've got to show us you're serious about this. We can see Kurt is but you…"

Finn rolled his eyes. "You want me to show you I'm serious about going to New York by playing a teacup in a children's play?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a widely appraised Broadway musical, Finn," Kurt corrected haughtily.

Finn ground his teeth. "Oh, that changes things, then. It's all right that I make_ a fool of myself_," he huffed sarcastically, throwing his arms in the air. "-because it's a _musical_ with dancing teacups."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. No one talked down one of his favorite musicals.

"There are also other dancing utensils," he said pleasantly. "You can always try out for the role of a bucket if the teacup doesn't suit you. I think you'd make a fine bucket."

Finn scowled at him and was starting to wonder how bad their parents would take it if he stuck that nail file in Kurt's-

"Honey, you won't make a fool of yourself," Carole tried reassuringly before Finn finished his thought.

"I won't," he stated turning to her. "Because I'm not doing it," he decided with finality and turned his attention back to the game. He felt bad about behaving like this but this was his dignity on the line. He sighed. "Mom, I'll show you and Burt and Kurt the Great here-" he said with a sneer. Kurt chucked the file at him but he dodged it easily. "-that I'm serious about New York just…let me do it my own way, ok?"

"I was afraid you're going to say that," Carole said.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn needed to come up with a plan. In fact, he had even come up with a plan to come up with a plan. So far he had jogged around the neighborhood, vaporized a couple dozen zombies and eaten a whole plate of mac'n'cheese. Everything was going really well except the actual plan thing. His head remained empty. He had no idea how important people like presidents or mad scientists did it.

Discouraged, he decided to give up on the whole thinking thing for a time and take a nap instead. The house was quiet since their parents were away on some trip in Columbus and wouldn't be back till the evening and Kurt had disappeared, which meant he was in the middle of his Skype session with Blaine in Chicago or doing his moisturizing-whatever routine.

Finn buried himself deeper on the sofa and closed his eyes. He was just about to drift off to sleep when he heard loud footsteps and Kurt practically flew down the stairs.

"Finn? Finn!" he exclaimed excitedly.

The taller boy simply waved his hand so that Kurt could see it over the sofa.

"There you are," he said with a grin that Finn found more than a little suspicious.

"Here I am," he confirmed slowly, his eyebrows drawing together into a line. "Do you like, need to pee or something, dude? Cause you're jumping from leg to leg like you need to go really bad."

"I need to go," the countertenor said, trying to catch his breath.

Finn looked at him funny. "Um, then go. And for the future, you don't need to ask me for permission."

Kurt huffed and raised his eyes to the ceiling in obvious exasperation.

"I need to go _to the mall_," he enunciated.

"This is about _shopping_?" Finn asked incredulously. "Geez, I thought you'd invented the cure for cancer or something."

"No, that would be for tomorrow," Kurt retorted. "Today it's only plain old shopping. They just called me from the mall and-"

"Wait, _the mall _has your private phone number?"

"Well, of course," Kurt said with a sassy pout. "I'm their best customer. They always call me when there's a new delivery in. They just got the new Ferragamos straight from Milan I was dying to get for my trip to see Blaine in Chicago."

Finn had no idea what Ferragamo or Milan was, but if there was one thing he learned it was that when Kurt named weird stuff, he was talking about expensive clothes.

"Anyways, I have to go get them right now," Kurt continued. "So I need a favor."

"Dude, it's past six! Why can't you pick them up tomorrow?" Finn asked, not really caring if he sounded whiny. "They're just-"

He let his voice trail under the cold glance Kurt shot him.

"I'd think you know me well enough to not finish this sentence."

"Ok, ok." He held his hands up. "They're not just shoes. Or whatever."

"There's no _whatever_," Kurt said narrowing his eyes at him and Finn cursed himself inwardly. Now he was in for another rant on how shoes saved the world or something.

Sure enough, Kurt put his hands on his hips and gave him his snobby look. "The perfect appearance begins with the hairstyle and ends with immaculate, gorgeous shoes," he said. "It's the most important accessory there is," he added with a pout.

"Kurt, you know you're talking to a quarterback whose idea of style is flannel and jeans, right?"

Kurt sighed. "You're right. Who am I kidding? Talking to you about style is like talking to Rachel Berry about modesty."

"You know, for someone who wants a favor from me, you're not really trying to get on my good side here."

Kurt groaned. "It's a small one. And you'll get bonus brownie points from my dad."

Finn nodded slowly. Brownie points from Burt were always something to seriously consider.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Dad just called and they got held up in Columbus. They won't be home till tomorrow morning and he asked me to close the shop for him."

"But you have to get the shoes or you'll die and you want me to do close the shop because if it isn't closed you'll also die when Burt comes home and kills you," Finn finished for him. "Did I miss something?"

"My dad wouldn't kill me," Kurt objected. "Skin me alive, sure, but not kill. Still, I like my skin where it is, so?"

"Well, it would be the nice brotherly thing to do," Finn replied teasingly and Kurt rolled his eyes. "And I kinda like your skin where it is, too. So I guess it's a yes."

Kurt smiled. "I'm glad we're both fans of my skin," he said wryly and Finn chuckled. "And thanks."

"Well, I couldn't let you go to Chicago with only ten pairs of shoes instead of eleven," he quipped.

Kurt shook his head, grabbing his car keys and jacket.

"I'll try to be quick. Please don't burn the house while I'm gone," he said over his shoulder opening the door. "And don't go into the kitchen. Like, _at all_."

"What if I get hungry?" Finn objected.

"Order a pizza," he said with finality and left, ignoring the feeling of premonition creeping into his stomach.

Finn watched him go and not five minutes passed before he was fast asleep.

**XxXxXxX**

You know that feeling when you know you've forgotten something but you can't, for the life of you, remember what it is?

Finn woke up with that feeling, accompanied by a terrible crick in his neck. He looked around and found it was early in the morning and he wasn't in his bed but on the couch in the living room. Huh, probably that was what he forgot – go to his own bed.

Then he heard screaming from the backyard and the next thing he knew, Kurt and Burt were bursting through the door, followed by Carole.

"Kurt, goddamit! I ask you to do one simple thing! How could you not check!" Burt was almost shaking out of rage. "Why didn't you just put up a sign 'Lima hobos, make yourselves at home!'"

"I'm sorry! I have no idea how it happened!"

"I know how it happened! You left everything and went shopping because you live in a world where shoes and clothes are more important than the place that provides the bread on our table!"

"What's going on?" Finn asked, still a little groggy.

The three of them turned to him. "The shop's been thrashed in the night," Carole said in a muted tone. "Probably some homeless people."

Finn's eyes widened. That feeling that he'd forgotten something? Yeah. He swallowed.

Burt ran a hand over his head. "Thankfully most of the equipment is too big and heavy to carry out and the shop's insured but we'll have to close for at least a week," he said, his lips a thin line. "All courtesy of Kurt's shoe addiction."

Kurt flinched visibly but said nothing. Finn looked on incredulously.

"But it wasn't Kurt's fault!" he protested when he got his act together. "Dude, why didn't you tell them?" he asked in shock, turning to his stepbrother, who refused to look at him, though. He turned back to their parents. "Kurt asked _me_ to do it before he left and I…fell asleep. It's my fault."

"Oh, Finn," Carole moaned.

"Still, it was my responsibility," Kurt spoke darkly. "Dad asked me not Finn. I should have known better than to leave _him_ to do this," he finished sharply, still not looking at Finn. At this point, Finn thought it was better because he was sure that if Kurt did, he'd drop dead to the floor.

"Just wonderful." Burt crossed his hands on his chest. "It's _so_ comforting to know I don't have one but _two_ irresponsible, reckless sons," he said sourly.

"I'm sorry?" Finn said sheepishly. "I really am."

"That's not going to cut it, Finn. I'd tell you to work it off at the shop but I want it fixed not destroyed even more. So you're both grounded for the whole summer."

Kurt's head snapped up at that. "But dad! I stepped up to the plate and I'll help you at the shop as much as you want! But you can't ground me! I'm going to Chicago to see Blaine next week! You promised!"

"That was before I knew how careless you are," he said sharply. Then his expression softened a little when he saw tears coming down his son's face. "I love you, Kurt. Maybe too much. And maybe that's the problem. I have never been able to be firm enough with you because you were always such a good kid and I thought you didn't need it. Now I see you did. And still do."

"But dad-"

"Burt-"

The elder Hummel stared them both down and Finn swallowed. Apparently the ability to stop one's blood from flowing with one stare was genetic for Hummels.

"Kurt. Finn. Enough."

Kurt gaped. He felt like his whole world was falling apart.

Finn lifted a hand to pat him on the shoulder but the smaller boy glared at him with such intensity that he stopped half-way.

"Don't you dare touch me," he hissed so acrimoniously that Finn actually took a step back. "You're one big disappointment. I was better off without you," he spat angrily and bolted up the stairs.

Petrified, Finn looked after him. He had no idea words could hurt that much.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn wasn't a thinker and he didn't like to grovel or mope around. Still, that was all he had been doing the entire day. His silent phase reached its apex when he absent-mindedly put a sausage roll in the microwave. It caught fire and he was about to pour water over it to put it out when his mom had walked in. That was why he was still alive now. The microwave was not, however, and his mom had thrown him out of the kitchen for good.

So now he was sulking, he was grounded _and _he was hungry. Everything because his brother had to go buy a _millionth_ pair of shoes and couldn't close the shop by himself. Stupid Kurt.

Finn ground his teeth. His brother was like one of those damn cubes with colorful stickers on their sides you had to pivot until they were all the same color on each side. Ru-something cube. Just when Finn thought he had a side of the cube in the same color, all the rest would get botched up. Whenever Finn thought he had a part of Kurt figured out and they were okay, something popped up that messed up all the rest.

Still, this time it was he who'd messed up. Big time. Kurt asked him for one small thing and he let him down and had successfully ruined his only chance of seeing his boyfriend for the next three months in the process.

Finn didn't feel angry at Kurt at all anymore, only at himself. He sighed, knowing he would have to suck it up and apologize to Kurt first. Stupid Kurt.

And that was how he found himself hovering before Kurt's door. He stood there, listening for some ten minutes before finally knocking and gently pushing the door open.

Kurt was in pajamas in his bed with his computer in his lap. Upon seeing who it was, his expression hardened.

"Hey," Finn said in a small voice. "Can I come in?"

"Guess," Kurt snapped, shooting him another one of his Basilisk stares and looked back to his computer. Finn was determined not to take the cue. He inched into the room, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Do you…hate me?" he asked meekly.

Kurt didn't look up from his computer but Finn noticed he clenched his jaw.

"Not at all," he finally said with a sigh, looking him in the eye. "I'm planning your slow and painful death but it's all out of my love for you."

"Kurt, I tried to explain to Burt it was my fault but he-"

"Shut up."

"I just need to-"

"Shut. Up. Finn," Kurt practically growled.

Finn swallowed. The tone of Kurt's voice made him wonder if he would make it to the door. His mom was downstairs doing the laundry and Burt was at the shop so Kurt could easily kill him and bury him in the backyard without them even noticing. Still, he had to apologize _somehow_.

"Dude, I'm-" he let his voice trail when Kurt finally turned to him. The weight of his stare made him squirm.

"Yes, I hate you," the countertenor said, visibly irritated. "A lot. Now go away."

"I'm so-"

Kurt raised a hand, effectively shutting him up. "Don't even try to say it. I really don't want to hear it right now, Finn," he said and turned back to his computer.

Finn decided to take the hint this time. Kurt was in one of his moods and that meant nothing would get through to him. By no means was Finn giving up, though. No way. He'd just have to find another way to show Kurt how sorry he was. He would make this right.

**XxXxXxX**

"Mom, Burt, I'll do it."

"Do what, honey?" Carole asked absent-mindedly, still engrossed in her magazine. Both she and Burt were seated at the kitchen table, drinking tea and reading.

Finn shifted from foot to foot. This was his last chance to change his mind. After this, there was no going back. It had taken him a couple of hours to come up with this, and it was positively insane and the last thing on Earth he wanted to do, which in his experience meant it was the right thing to do. He took a deep breath, reminding himself why he was doing it. It was for Kurt. He finally had the chance to man up for him and make up for all the times in the past that he hadn't.

"I'll play the teacup."

Carole finally looked at him. "That's...wonderful, sweetie. What made you change your mind?"

Burt glanced at him from the sports column with a knowing look. "That's all fine and I'm glad you've decided to do this but this doesn't change anything," he said decidedly. "You're still grounded."

"I know. I wasn't counting on that," Finn said levelly and this time he caught them both by surprise.

"Oh?"

Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "Or rather, I wasn't counting on anything for _me_. I'll do the play and stay grounded without whining and stuff and help repair the damage at the shop…but please let Kurt go to Six Flags?"

Burt and Carole looked at each other in silence.

"I'll even work off Kurt's house arrest," Finn offered weakly. "Just please…let him go."

Carole gave Burt a meaningful look and when she turned back to her son, she was smiling. Finn let himself relax a little. This couldn't be that bad if his mom was smiling.

"You'd do that for your brother?" Burt asked, a little thrown.

Finn nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it's _my _fault. Kurt's only fault in this is that he trusted me. I guess he won't be making that mistake again," he added wistfully, dropping his eyes. Then he looked up at the both of them. "Still, you can't really punish him for the fact that I'm irresponsible. Cause that would be unfair. And Kurt wants to go so bad. I'll make a fool of myself in front of all Lima and will get slushied all my senior year but I'm willing to do that. Cause that's _fair_."

They both looked at him for a while, then at each other, and finally seemed to have come to some kind of silent agreement because Burt got up and lay a hand on his shoulder.

"You've just proved that maybe you're not as irresponsible and reckless as we thought, kid. And maybe even mature enough to go to New York in a year."

Finn smiled sheepishly like he always did when Burt praised him – it meant a lot, coming from the man he'd come to love and respect a great deal.

His mom beamed at him and he straightened up to his full height, quite proud of himself for the speech (he so could pull off being serious and using big words if he really wanted to!). He found himself wishing Kurt could see him. Then with a sinking heart he realized Kurt would rather take his own liver out with a fork than be near him right now.

Kurt hated him and it was all his fault. Back to sulking it was.

**XxXxXxX**

It was late evening when Finn threw himself on his bed and groaned, the sheets of paper he was holding landing on the floor. He would never get those lines right. He was completely hopeless. He was on the verge of trying out the new Witcher game on his Xbox when there was a soft, almost shy, knock on his door. He turned around to see Kurt standing undecidedly in the doorway. He had that deer-in-the-headlights look and Finn stared. It was strange to see his always confident and sure of himself diva of a brother almost squirm as he stood in the door and shifted from one foot to the other.

"May I come in?" he asked sheepishly.

Finn nodded and Kurt took a couple of tentative steps further inside.

"I…brought you a little present," he said avoiding Finn's gaze.

"Is it ticking?" the taller boy asked, only half-jokingly.

Kurt chuckled lightly and handed him a CD. "I heard you…practice. Like the whole neighborhood," he said holding back a wince. "This might help."

Finn's eyebrows rose. "The full soundtrack to _Beauty and the Beast_?"

The countertenor looked at him sheepishly. "You'll need this."

Finn nodded slowly. "Thanks."

"It's a premium edition," Kurt said. "I had to spend the night camping at Barnes&Noble and fight a bunch of middle schoolers with a life-size cardboard cut-out of Arnold Schwarzenegger to get it so be careful with it."

"Of course," Finn assured him, chuckling at the mental image of Kurt going ninja on a bunch of teenage girls with a paper Terminator.

"And I'll help you with the vocals," Kurt offered. "You'll be the sexiest teacup in Ohio. Even Rachel will be impressed."

"Um, thanks, man, but you don't have to do this. I bet you've got more interesting things to do than hear me sing off-key for hours. I don't want to break your ears or something."

"I've been in Glee with you for two years, Finn. My ears are already broken," the smaller boy said wryly. "And sure, I've got more interesting things to do. But none of them is more _important_," he stressed sitting daintily at the edge of Finn's bed and starting to pick at an invisible thread on his knee. "It's really cool what you did for me, Finn. Thank you."

The taller boy scratched the back of his head uneasily because Kurt was giving him that half-adoring, half-amazed gaze.

"Nah, I owed you that. It was totally my fault," he mumbled. "I mean, I had to do something to make you forget I'm your idiot brother who makes microwaves explode and forgets things and is an inconsiderate jerk."

Kurt stared at him for a long moment, his usually expressive face an unreadable mask. Finn was beginning to squirm under his gaze.

"Um, now would be a good time to deny it?" he suggested. "Or not."

"You _do _make microwaves explode," Kurt spoke wryly but his eyes were getting glossy. "And you're an incredible sap."

Finn's face broke out into a relieved grin at that. "Actually that's one of the _best_ things about me," he said wryly. "And why you like me so much," he grinned.

"I'm that obvious, am I?" Kurt said, shaking his head.

"Actually, you're not," Finn said thoughtfully. "In fact, you're like one of those cubes. The Rooba...Roebeck..."

"Rubik's cube?"

"Yeah! That's it!" Finn exclaimed relieved because it had been haunting him the entire day. "Thanks, man!"

"The paths your mind wanders," Kurt said shaking his head. "Do I want to know why I remind you of a cube?

"Well, you did once say you're not a box and there are more than four sides to you...the imagery kinda stuck with me, I guess," he said with a shrug. "And I always wanted to tell you that even I know a box actually has six sides..."

"And a figure of speech is just something that happens to other people, isn't it?" Kurt rolled his eyes, trying to cover up he was touched Finn remembered something he'd said in Glee more than a year ago.

"Is it something to eat? If not, then I can live with that," he said wryly.

Kurt rolled his eyes and let out a disgruntled huff but the next moment Finn found himself wrapped up in his tight embrace. Kurt buried his face in his brother's chest, smiling against the soft fabric of his tee. Finn chuckled and put his arms around him, feeling relief and a pleasant warmth wash over him.

"So…we're cool?" he asked tentatively after a moment.

Kurt pulled back to arm's length. "Yes, we're cool," he sighed breathing in Finn's smell. It was so familiar and just…comfortable. "I'm sorry for all the things I said. I was angry. I could never hate you. Not with how much I love you," he added softly, hiding his face in the other boy's shoulder.

Finn's reply was to tighten his embrace around his brother. A year ago Kurt telling him he loved him would have freaked him out and sent him running in the opposite direction but now all he felt was a warmth blooming in his chest. He still couldn't believe how far he'd come, all thanks to the boy in his arms.

"Even though I can make you crazy in record time?" he muttered teasingly, trying to make light of the heavy mood.

Kurt chuckled. "I think it's actually _because_ of that. No one can make me crazy quite like you do yet no matter _how much_ you do, a part of me actually enjoys it because it reminds me that nobody else has a brother like you."

Finn pulled back a little to look at Kurt and he felt his eyes get strangely moist. It was probably the draught. Only there was none.

"That was...really sappy, Kurt," he said teasingly and the smaller boy swatted him on the chest. "I think I'm rubbing off on you," he added with a grin.

"When I start wearing polo shirts, please kill me," Kurt replied. Then he pulled back, a frown creasing his forehead. "I think the one you're wearing now is vibrating."

"Oh," Finn said taking his phone out. "It's Blaine."

"Kurt blinked. "_Blaine_? As in Blaine Anderson?"

"Yeah. At least I think that's his surname. I've got him under 'Warbler'."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "How does he even have your number? Are you buddies or something?"

"Dude, I really have to take this. I'll tell you later."

"Tell him you'll call him back. If you're still alive then," he said menacingly.

Finn answered the phone. "Um, Blaine, hi. Kurt's about to kill me so can I call you back? Ok. Thanks, bye," he finished the conversation and turned to Kurt. "He said good luck."

"You're going to need it," Kurt said pleasantly, his features practically oozing irritation. "Well?" he prodded.

"There's really not much to explain," Finn said scratching his head. "We met. I gave him my number. End of story," he finished with a shrug looking everywhere but at Kurt.

"_What_?" Kurt sputtered. "When? Why?"

"How."

"What?"

"I thought we were playing 'Name That Question Word'," Finn said.

"As much fun as that sounds, maybe some other time," Kurt said crossing his hands on his chest. "Because right now I'm still waiting for my explanation."

Finn sighed. "Fine. After you got together, I wanted to meet the guy."

"You met him several times," Kurt pointed out.

"Um, yeah, but I needed some one-on-one time to make sure he's like, good enough for you and stuff, and what his intentions are."

"Finn, I'm not some helpless maiden and this isn't the Middle Ages!" Kurt groaned, his irritation getting the better of him. "I can take care of myself!"

"Dude, I know that, but you've been through so much this year that I wanted to make sure for myself this Blaine dude wouldn't hurt you."

Kurt's expression softened in his eyebrows though he kept his lips in a firm line. He was still angry at Finn for smothering him lately but it was good to know he _had_ people in his life who cared so much.

"And did you?" he asked, his tone gentler.

"Yeah, he passed the test," Finn said smiling. "It went really well. I glared, I threatened, I packed a couple of punches...and then I met Blaine," he deadpanned.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I swear I'm going to kill Cedes for ever thinking giving you those 'sarcasm lessons' was a good idea."

"I'm so getting better at this," Finn grinned at him. "And Blaine's a cool guy. We watched some football, talked, ate popcorn and then we exchanged phone numbers. That's it."

Kurt looked at him skeptically.

"Can I call him back now?" Finn asked.

The countertenor just nodded, motioning for him to go ahead. Blaine did most of the talking and by the time Finn put his phone down he was practically bouncing on his feet.

"Do I want to know?" Kurt asked tiredly.

"I think you do cause we're going to Six Flags _together_!" Finn announced and Kurt gaped. "Blaine just got me a buddy pass with a friend of his."

Kurt groaned, feeling an overpowering urge to bang his head against something. Farewell, peaceful weekend in Chicago.

tbc.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this, and if you did, drop me a review:) Next time – Kurt and Finn on their journey to Chicago (I know Finn has grounded status for now but you know them - they'll deal with it and it won't be pretty;) Also, it wasn't mentioned which Six Flags Blaine wanted to work at so I chose the closest one to Lima.

_p.s. thank you for your invitations & amazing comments on Tumblr—I'm still figuring out how to use that site so just let me know if you want me to "follow" you on it! xoxo_

_p.p.s. A piece of fan info (if you didn't know) – Chris Colfer played Chip in his school's rendition of B&B. He talks about it in his Bonnie Hunt Show interview, and even shows a picture – he's utterly adorable;) If you haven't seen it yet, do – YouTube's your friend;)_


	42. Turbulence

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope.

**A/N: **Okay, 701 reviews, guys? I don't have the words to express how touched I am by each review and alert:) Seriously, I love you to the moon and back!

To everyone who reviews – please know that your words inspire me to keep going and never fail to make me smile:) You are incredible.

To everyone who just checks out this story – thanks for caring enough about it, and about our boys, to want to see what happens next.

To everyone – the updates are and may continue to be slower for a while, for which I'm sorry, but I'll be travelling a lot this month. Still, I'll do my best to give you your weekly dose of Furt:)

I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Here we go!

* * *

_~ Six Flags Chronicles Part II ~_

**Turbulence**

"Oh no."

Kurt muttered the two syllables with feeling as he saw Finn approaching, and straightened up from the hood of the car he was working on. Usually the sight of his stepbrother didn't evoke aversion in him but this wasn't _usually._

The last couple of days had been like reading from _Finn Hudson's:_ _A Series of Unfortunate Events _as his stepbrother unrelentingly tried to get Burt to lift his house arrest for the weekend in Chicago by inventing the most inane, ridiculous ways to do it. Honestly, if Finn tried any more, Kurt was pretty sure his dad was going to die of amusement or mortification, or both. Still, he remained adamant. Unfortunately, so did Finn.

So, when Kurt saw Finn now, he knew what was coming. His stepbrother had a very determined look on his face and there was that spark in his eye that never spelt well because it meant Finn was out of ideas. And that left him with Finn-ideas, or what Kurt came to call 'the most insane ways of making a fool of oneself and destroying stuff in the process'.

He sighed and came up to meet his stepbrother half-way on the way to his dad.

"Another round of 'So You Think You Can Convince'?" he asked wryly. "You know you're losing big time, right?"

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you don't want me to go with you."

"What gave you that idea?" Kurt asked innocently though he was starting to feel a bit uneasy.

"Gee, I don't know," Finn replied sourly, crossing his hands. "Maybe the fact that all you've done this week is make fun of me or sit quietly by whenever I tried to make Burt let me go."

Kurt sighed. True, he wasn't helping Finn much to win Burt over but it wasn't like he was _intentionally_ trying to thwart him or anything, either. Finn could hardly blame him for sitting on the fence on this one because all things considered, Kurt had all the reasons in the world to _not _want Finn to go. He wanted a peaceful weekend alone with his boyfriend, whom he wasn't going to see for the next two months. He wanted romantic rides and Blaine winning him a teddy bear and all the cheesy stuff couples did in amusement parks. No one could fault him for not being exactly thrilled about the prospect of a goofy, irresponsible brother getting in the way of that. Kurt considered his staying out of this a _favor_ to Finn.

"Well, _technically_, that's not true," the countertenor began slowly. "I was making _dinner_ that time you started to massage my dad's feet-" he tried not to chuckle remembering that particular moment. His dad had been _really_ close to dying of mortification that evening. "-and when you offered to clean the septic tank every month till you're twenty, I was all for the idea, if you recall."

"Yeah, you're a really great brother," the taller boy said scathingly. "Having my back like that."

"Finn, it's not like that."

"No? Then what's it like?" Finn asked angrily. "I may be dumb but I'm not stupid, Kurt. I _know _you think I'll get in the way. That I'm going to follow you like a lost puppy or something and spoil your alone time with Blaine because you think I'm some kind of a daffy, clueless jock with no tact."

Rendered speechless for a while, Kurt blinked. "Finn, I'd never-"

His words died on his lips as the taller boy looked at him steadily. Not because Finn was so intimidating – which he totally was – but because it was so rare to see such a hurt and hard look on his face.

"True, most of the time I can be like that," Finn continued. "But not when I care. And when it comes to you, I _always_ care. So you thinking I'd spoil something so important for you? It hurts," he said, his shoulders hunching. "I thought you knew me better than that."

Kurt was starting to feel tears in the corners of his eyes. Partly, it was out of shock because how the hell this turned so serious in such a short time he had no idea, but mostly because Finn was spot on. Having it actually spoken out loud made him realize how selfish and callous his thinking was. His breath hitched in his throat but he had no time to formulate a reply because his brother wasn't finished yet.

Finn was looking at him almost wistfully now, and there was no more anger in his eyes, only disappointment. It was worse than anger.

"Still, at least now I know where we really stand," Finn said in a subdued tone, shoving his hands into his pockets. "And it's good to know, I guess. It's just, I thought you trusted me a little. And you used to be the only person who never judged me by my…goofy jockness. Jocky goofiness."

"Finn-" Kurt began weakly, trying his best to keep the tears at bay even as his heart broke at the sight of his brother being so disappointed in him.

"Save it," the taller boy said in clipped syllables, a shadow passing over his eyes. "I'm going to tell Burt I don't want to go anymore," he stated and went around Kurt, heading to where the elder Hummel was working.

Frozen, Kurt looked after him as it all sunk in. He'd messed up big time. Finn put his summer holidays and his dignity on the line so that Kurt could go and when he had the chance to do the same for Finn, he didn't lift a finger. And this was Finn's only chance of getting out of Lima during the summer and having some real fun, and he had been idly standing by, letting his stepbrother lose this opportunity because of his own selfish reasons.

Gaga, he was the worst brother _ever_.

He didn't have much time to wallow in self-pity, though, because there was a muted gasp from somewhere behind him and as he whirred around, he saw Finn on the ground and his dad leaning over him. He felt all blood drain from his face.

"What happened?" he asked, frantically skidding over to Finn's side.

"I was chasing down a short in a live electrical circuit when your brother came up and all but put both his hands on a bare wire," Burt explained with a shake of his head.

Kurt's eyes widened as he looked at Finn's immobile form.

"Sometimes I wonder how this kid managed to survive in one piece till the age of seventeen," Burt remarked wryly. Kurt's lower lip was starting to tremble so he quickly added, "He'll be fine, though. Don't worry, booger."

Burt knew he was in for a freak-out when his son didn't object to the pet-name.

"Dad, he's _lying unconscious on the floor_!"

Ditto.

"Trust me, he'll come to in no time," Burt tried to reassure him.

Kurt didn't seem convinced as he looked down at his stepbrother.

"Finn?" he asked, his voice trembling. "Finn!" he said more forcefully as the other boy didn't respond. "I'm a selfish jerk and I'm really sorry but if you wake up, I'll make it up to you," he promised but there was still no response. He turned back to his dad. "Oh my God, dad, we should call 911 and maybe do CPR and where is that portable AED-" he started babbling.

"Kurt, slow down!" Burt cut his overly dramatic child off. "Look down," he added with a smile. Finn was starting to stir, grunting heavily. "Believe me, it takes _a lot_ more to cause any harm to a guy the size of your brother. This just hopefully taught him a lesson," he said turning to his stepson. "You all right, buddy?"

Finn slowly opened one eye. "How _not_ all right would I have to be for you to let me go to Chicago?"

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. Finn was fine _and _he'd apparently electrocuted himself back into wanting to go with him this weekend.

"See?" Burt chuckled lightly looking at Kurt. "He's perfectly fine," he said shaking his head. "You're impossible, kid," he decided.

"Impossible as in 'managed to impress you into letting me go'?" Finn ventured hopefully.

Burt sighed. "I don't know if 'impress' is the word I'd use…"

"Dad, please let Finn go," Kurt joined in imploringly. "I'm not going without him," he added locking gazes with the other boy, who gave him a ghost of a smile.

Burt looked at his two boys, Finn still slightly dazed on the floor with his head in Kurt's lap, both of them looking at him with so much hope that he really didn't have the heart to say no anymore.

"Fine," he conceded.

"Dad," Kurt said steadily. "For once I just wish you'd hear me out and let me-" he trailed off as the other two looked at him funny. He cleared his throat. "And I realize you just did so I'm going to shut up now."

Burt shook his head. "Correction: you're _both_ impossible." Then he turned to Finn. "Fyi, I'm doing this for my sanity and this garage because honestly, Finn, any more of your help and there wouldn't be a brick left of this place," he said wryly.

Finn grinned.

"But you're still cleaning that septic tank, mind you."

Finn's grin waned.

"You'd better help your brother home now, Kurt," the elder Hummel suggested, trying to cover his grin and turning to his son. "There's a new client and I don't want Finn to scare him," and with that he left.

Finn looked at Kurt bewildered. "I know I'm no Johnny Depp but why would I scare-"

Managing to keep a straight face, the smaller boy handed him a pocket mirror he'd fished out of his coveralls. Finn looked into it and gaped. "Oh."

"Yeah. Oh," Kurt repeated wryly, eyeing Finn's totally insane hair. "Still, it looks better than it normally does."

The taller boy shot him a sideways look and the countertenor chuckled lightly, grabbing Finn's cheek and kissing the top of his head roughly.

"I was being selfish this week and I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me," he said softly with a vulnerability and sincerity in his eyes that made Finn instantly forget what he'd been angry at Kurt for in the first place.

He _wanted_ to stay angry. He really did. But _you_ try handling a sad Kurt face. It isn't for the weak of heart. He nodded.

Kurt took a deep breath and continued. "I want to make one thing very clear," he said sternly. "I don't trust you _a little_. I trust you _with my life_, Finn."

The taller boy swallowed because that was a lot of trust to put into a guy who tripped on perfectly flat surfaces.

"But I do judge you by your _jockiness_-" he stressed, inwardly wincing at the little language monster Finn had created. "-because you _are_ a clueless daffy jock."

Finn chuckled. "And you love me for it, right?"

Kurt rolled his eyes at him. Then, remembering something, he pursed his lips and pushed him out of his lap, swatting him over the shoulder.

"Ouch!" Finn protested. "What was that for?" he asked indignantly, rubbing his arm.

"My sanity!" Kurt exclaimed. "I nearly had a heart attack because of you! There had to be an easier way to convince my dad than you electrocuting yourself! That was incredibly stupid and you could have hurt yourself!"

"I promise I'm not planning on frying myself to a cheese stick again anytime soon," Finn vowed solemnly and Kurt had to crack a smile. "Still, it was totally worth it – I'm alive, Burt let me go _and _I got to hear you call yourself a selfish jerk."

Kurt groaned. "You heard that?"

The taller boy gave him that infuriating lop-sided grin. "I heard _all_ of it."

Kurt's eyes widened. "You were faking it?"

"I might have…a little," Finn admitted and moved away because Kurt was about to swat him again. "So, how are you going to make it up to me?"

"How about by not killing you?" the smaller boy returned, his eyes flashing angry sparks.

"Um, that's a start, I guess," Finn said meekly. "You could give me the window seat on the plane?" he tried.

"You _are _impossible," Kurt observed, shaking his head. "Still, I guess I owe you that," he admitted with a long-suffering sigh. "For being a selfish jerk."

"Thanks, man," Finn replied excitedly. "And…I don't think you're a jerk. Well, not always."

Kurt bit off any caustic reply – Finn's sincere eyes and his genuine smile made all the snarky bones in him melt and disappear. He felt a smile fighting its way back onto his features.

"That's comforting," he quipped. "So, we're ok?" he asked, his tone vulnerable again. "Friends?"

"Friends," Finn confirmed with a grin.

Kurt nodded, returning the smile.

"But Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"If zombies chase us, I'm totally tripping you."

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt pulled his designer suitcase with a heavy heart, trailing behind his dad and Finn as the two of them strolled purposefully through the Dayton airport. It wasn't his _first_ flight but that didn't make it any better. Worse, in fact. Before the flight to NY he was at least oblivious and didn't know what was coming. Now he _knew_ he really didn't like being off the ground. Like, _really_. Planes made him nervous and jittery and gave him all kinds of breathing problems and then they lifted off _into the_ _air_.

He must have looked really bad because even Finn seemed to notice, and gave him a pat on the shoulder that was probably supposed to be reassuring but didn't really work with the lop-sided grin.

"If you're going to be a Broadway star, you'd better get used to flying, dude," he said wryly. Kurt glared. "I'll go get the tickets," he offered quickly trying to get out of Kurt's line of fire, and walked towards the check in machines.

Kurt watched him go, not even realizing he was getting paler and squeezing the strap of his messenger bag tighter and tighter until his dad put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, scooter, you know it's the safest-" Burt tried consolingly but was cut short by his son's Basilisk stare.

"_Dad_. Please don't give me the 'safest means of transportation' speech. It isn't helpful. At all," Kurt scolded. "And do _not_ call me 'scooter' in public. I'm not ten and it's embarrassing."

"Hey, I'm your dad! Embarrassing you in public and giving you lectures is in the job description."

Kurt glared at him and Burt chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"Dad!" he hissed pushing his hand away. "Not. The. Hair!"

"Sheesh, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today," Burt remarked wryly. "I guess it's a good thing there are no toasters nearby or they'd be dumped on my head, right?"

Kurt pouted just as Finn returned waving their tickets in his face. "All ready! Time to go!" he announced happily and Kurt felt his knees going weak at the notion. "I so can't wait to get on the plane," Finn grinned.

Kurt inhaled deeply. He wondered how his dad – or security – would react if he bashed his brother over the head with his suitcase. Repeatedly.

"Ok then," Burt said breaking his son's train of thought. "You be safe, boys, and take care of each other," he instructed putting his hands in his pockets. "Oh, and don't forget the most important thing."

"Oh?" Kurt asked with a hint of exasperation, expecting a speech on drugs and alcohol.

"Fun," Burt said with a smile. "Have lots of fun, boys."

"Thanks, Burt!" Finn said enthusiastically, putting his arms around his stepdad.

The older man reciprocated the hug with a chuckle and then turned to his son, who was watching them with arms crossed.

"I hope you realize you've just as much as given Finn permission to tear half of Chicago down," he said snarkily.

"That's why I made you swear on your sweater collection to watch over him," Burt retorted.

Kurt let out a long-suffering sigh. Burt chuckled and enveloped him in a hug. "Have a great time, kiddo. And say hi to Blaine from me."

Kurt's expression softened and he planted a quick kiss on his dad's cheek. "Thanks, dad. See you."

**XxXxXxX**

"Is the wing supposed to make these funny noises and wobble like that?"

Finn couldn't help himself from rolling his eyes because it was the third time Kurt was asking that question. And they weren't even in the air yet.

"It's a plane, dude. They make funny noises all the time," he tried patiently. "And don't even _think_ of calling the attendant over here again," he added quickly seeing Kurt's hand hover over the call button. "She already thinks you're insane."

At that moment the flaps on the wing began moving with a groan and Kurt shot up in his seat. "Is this normal, too?" he asked, his eyes wide.

Finn was torn between amusement and exasperation. "Yes. They're doing a routine check-up to see if nothing's blocked. Don't you remember anything from when we flew to NY? It's nothing to be scared of."

Kurt huffed. "I'm not scared! I'm just…reasonably concerned!"

"Ok," the taller boy replied, a smile playing on his lips. "You're not scared. You're just having a panic attack."

At that moment the plane started taxiing down the tarmac and Kurt squawked, his hand landing on Finn's and squeezing it tightly.

The taller boy tried hard not to chuckle. It was amusing to watch the usually calm and composed Kurt all panicky and shaky. Even though it was annoying, Finn found it also made him even more protective of the smaller boy. He kinda liked that he got to be the bigger brother for once, even if it meant Kurt crushing his hand in a vice-like grip like he was now.

Finn wasn't the comforting type, when he tried it usually came out awkward and not very comforting at best, but seeing his brother like that, he knew he at least had to try. He reached for Kurt's messenger bag, where he knew his brother had a fashion magazine of some sorts tucked in, and shoved it into his hands.

"Here. Relax and read about-" he glanced at the cover. "Um, 'How To Wear A Turban'? 'Problem Solved: Perfect Bare Legs'?" he finished weakly. "What _is_ this magazine?" he asked bewildered.

Kurt snatched it away from him. "It's the newest Vogue," he huffed indignantly, hugging it to his chest protectively.

Finn just shook his head. "So I guess I'll know who to go to if I want to wear a turban, huh?"

Kurt shot him a sideways look. "You're funny."

Finn chuckled. "I try."

Kurt rolled his eyes but sat peacefully, concentrating hard on leafing through the magazine and trying to ignore the thumps coming from under them. He glanced at Finn.

"I appreciate what you're doing, you know," he said. "But if this _is_ something serious and you prevented me from alarming the crew and we die, I want you to know you have my blood on your hands."

It was Finn's turn to roll his eyes.

**XxXxXxX**

They were about half-way and Finn was about to congratulate himself on being such a cool comforting brother when the turbulence sign went up.

"Ooh, this should be a kick!" he exclaimed. "Good prep for the rides at Six Flags!"

Kurt shot him a hateful look. "I violently dislike you right now-eek!" he finished with a squeak as the plane was thrown a bit to the side. "Oh my God, we're going to die," he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Well, you've certainly mastered the art of positive panicking," Finn remarked, looking out the window. He could _feel_ Kurt's eyes on him now, probably trying to blow up his head with his mind. "I know it's unpleasant but it's kinda normal, too. It'll soon-" The plane stabilized and the signs went off. "-pass. See?"

The smaller boy gave him an angry look and closed his eyes. Finn sighed and undid his belt. He made a move to stand up when Kurt's hand landed on his, holding him back.

"Where are you going?" the countertenor asked, hating how panicky he sounded.

"To stretch my legs a bit," Finn explained trying to straighten the said limbs in the seat and failing. "I swear, these seats discriminate against tall people!" he groaned.

"This is economy class," Kurt said pointedly. "Be glad you're not sitting on the floor squeezed between crates with live chickens."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Somehow I think it could be more comfy," he said wryly. "Can we try that on the way back?"

"Let's not and say we did," Kurt groaned.

"Killjoy," Finn teased softly and got up. "I'll be back in a moment, ok?"

Kurt waved him off, closing his eyes shut. "Fine. Just don't get lost."

Finn stuck his tongue out at him and went to the back of the plane. He did a couple of rounds until his legs felt attached to the rest of his body again and made his way back to his seat. He didn't sit down straight away, though.

He stood a moment in the aisle, watching Kurt. The smaller boy was still tense, his eyes closed, his head leant back, and he was gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles were white. Well, white-r. Finn felt kinda bad for him.

So, putting his casual grin on, he plopped down onto his seat with a plan. Kurt's eyes snapped open and he shot him a sideways look.

"Find anything interesting?" he asked weakly.

"Um, not really," Finn said but then leaned in a little. "But in the cockpit…shouldn't there be like, a pilot?"

Kurt straightened up in his seat. Then he saw the lopsided grin on Finn's face and swatted him on the arm.

"Ouch! That hurt!" the taller boy protested.

"It was supposed to!" Kurt hissed. "Do you _want _me to have a heart attack?"

"Geez, it was just a joke! I was trying to help you, you know, relax a little? Cause you look like you're about to puke or faint or something, dude."

Kurt sighed. "While I appreciate it, it's a proven fact that bad things happen when you try to help. So please stop."

"I take it that's your way of saying you want me to shut up?" the football player asked, a small smile playing on his lips.

"It would be appreciated."

"Ok, but if things get tough, you're going to be happy I at least took your mind off of things."

"If things get tough, happy is not the thing I'm going to be expressing."

"But at least you'll die relaxed."

"Finn. I will _literally_ pay you cash to stop talking."

**XxXxXxX**

"Hi, man!" Finn exclaimed enveloping Blaine, who was waiting for them at the terminal, in a bone-crushing hug. "Did I tell you how awesome you are for making this all happen?"

"Once or forty times," the Warbler replied. "Ugh, Finn…you know air?" he uttered. "The thing people need to live? You're currently squeezing it out of me."

"Um, sorry," Finn muttered letting him go. Then the wild sparks in his eyes were back. "Let's go shenaniganizing!" he exclaimed and with that, he was off.

Blaine blinked, then looked to Kurt, who was watching the whole scene from a safe distance with his arms crossed.

"Did they make drugs on planes legal and not inform me?" Blaine asked looking after Finn, who was behaving like a hyper puppy, and came closer to his boyfriend.

"No, that's just a normal case of Hurricane Finnegan," Kurt replied levelly. "Whom _you _invited. So, all damage inflicted on any property or living persons from now on is solely on you."

The black-haired boy swallowed. "I really stepped into this one, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Kurt affirmed grimly, watching Finn skip back and forth. "And I'm going to enjoy every minute of watching you deal with it."

Blaine shook his head. "You can be really cruel, you know that?"

Kurt looked at him sweetly. "I've been told that before."

The shorter boy chuckled lightly and placed a soft kiss at the corner of Kurt's mouth, wondering how he was ever going to survive a whole weekend of his furious boyfriend and his hyper brother. Just as he was pulling away, though, Kurt's hand shot out latching itself at the back of his neck and pulling him into a needy kiss.

"Miss me, huh?" Blaine muttered huskily against his lips as they both pulled away for air.

"What gives you that idea?" Kurt asked flirtatiously and Blaine had to use all of his willpower not to ravish him there and then. With a sigh, he let go of Kurt and turned away, trying to locate Finn.

"Come on, let's get your brother before security locks him up," he said with a sigh, putting his arm around his boyfriend.

"And that would be a bad thing why?" Kurt asked evilly.

Blaine chuckled. "I'm in for really crazy times, aren't I?"

"You have no idea."

* * *

Next time – Furt at Six Flags;) Blaine and Chicago won't know what hit them;)

It would mean a lot to me to know what you think, so drop me a line, guys:)

Until next time!


	43. Hurricane Finnegan

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **If only I _had _something to do with the creation of Glee…

**A/N: **As promised, a weekend of madness at Six Flags, guys. I tried to make this as realistic as possible but I have never been to SF or Chicago. I had help and did my research but I do realize it's not the real deal so if something's off base, I'm sorry.

Thank you so much for all the reviews and alerts, yofu're all incredible!

And now – enjoy:)

A huge thanks to **ChuckNorrisLeftFist** for the info and help!

* * *

_~ Six Flags Chronicles Part II__I ~_

**Hurricane Finnegan**

"Dudes, this place is _ginormous_!" Finn exclaimed, his eyes big as saucers. "And full of food _and_ rides!"

"Yeah, that's the idea, Finn," Blaine chuckled.

Kurt rolled his eyes. Finn was behaving like a puppy on steroids the entire time (and they'd barely entered Six Flags) and to Kurt's dismay, his boyfriend seemed to think it was _adorable_. He was seriously starting to wonder why he'd ever said yes…

"So, ready to go crazy?" Blaine asked cheerfully, oblivious to the fact that his boyfriend was all but burning holes in the back of his head.

"Yeah!" the quarterback turned to them. "How about we go to the craziest ride first, puke our guts out, then run like hell, steal a Buggy and drive it through the food court, ordering hot dogs then throwing sticks at people that pass by? Then after that we can go to Blaine's show and pass out."

"One problem," Blaine pointed out with a completely straight face. "Does anyone know how to hot-wire a Buggy?"

Kurt goggled at them both. "That's your problem with this?"

"Well, yes," the black-haired boy replied with an innocent shrug. "The rest's pretty straightforward."

"I'm not going to survive this weekend, am I?" Kurt asked dramatically.

Blaine laughed. "Relax, Kurt, we're just joking."

"We are?" Finn asked with a hint of disappointment. "When I talked it over with Puck, it seemed like a really good plan."

Kurt sighed. Of course Puckerman was in on this.

"A really good plan for _what_?" he scoffed. "Getting yourself thrown out of here and possibly into juvie?"

"When you put it like this…" Finn said, his eyebrows furrowing. Then he looked at Kurt hopefully. "Can we at least have hot dogs?"

"You _just_ had breakfast."

"It was an hour ago!" Finn protested. "And there weren't any hot dogs in it!"

Blaine chuckled and decided to step in because Kurt was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"There's a great hot dog place here," he said. "I'll show you later but you want to go on the rides with an empty stomach, believe me. Speaking of which, since we're in Yankee Harbor, I think you're going to love The Batman," he pointed at the rollercoaster some feet away from them. "It's one of a kind."

"I can see that," Kurt looked at the huge structure stretching menacingly into the distance, and swallowed. "Is there a place where I can leave my stomach before getting on this thing?"

"Don't worry, you'll lose it on the way," Blaine replied wryly.

"How reassuring you can be, oh boyfriend of mine," Kurt replied sarcastically.

"Always," Blaine grinned. Then he sighed. "I really wish I could go with you, just to see your face," he said in the countertenor's direction. Kurt scowled. "And I'm really sorry for this but my boss gave me no choice."

Kurt still scowled. Blaine stepped closer and put a soft hand on his arm.

"We've been over this, babe. I'm at work here. A colleague is sick and I _have_ to go to rehearsal and learn his part for today's show or Bernie will skin me alive, feed me to the audience and then fire what's left of me," he said apologetically, placing a kiss on Kurt's cheek. He could see the beginnings of a smile on his boyfriend's face that the other boy tried to hide so he leaned in closer. "I'm really sorry," he said, his lips inches from Kurt's ear. "And I promise I'll make it up to you," he whispered huskily.

Finn watched with amusement as his brother suddenly blushed a magnificent shade of red. He had no idea what Blaine told him but whatever it was, did the job of pacifying him spectacularly well.

Then the Warbler moved away and looked at them both.

"So, I'll see you at the show at five, and after that we can go have dinner and decide what to do with the rest of the day, ok?"

"If I'm still alive by then," Kurt muttered, his eyes set on the roller coaster looming over them menacingly.

"You'll be fine," Blaine said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Then he turned to Finn. "Look out for him for me, ok?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You realize that only _decreases_ my chances of being alive by five, right?"

"We'll be ok," Finn assured Blaine and put an arm around Kurt's shoulders.

**XxXxXxX**

"I'm going to die," Kurt announced matter-of-factly as he was being strapped into the ski-lift-style chair, his legs dangling in the air.

Next to him, Finn was all but bouncing with excitement. "This is so awesome! We're actually going to be in, like, no gravity in one of the loops!"

"If I wanted to be in zero gravity, I'd become a friggin' astronaut!" Kurt snapped at him, grinding his teeth as he felt the car begin to move. He instantly felt sorry, though. He was nervous, no, scratch that, he was on the verge of a freak-out, but that was no excuse to take it out on Finn. He looked at the other boy apologetically. "Sorry. And if we die, I want you to knoooo-" the rest was cut off as the ride sped off.

_2__0 minutes later…_

"Come on, we _have _to do this again!"

"Are you a masochist, Finn?" Kurt asked incredulously, once he was sure he was able to stand completely horizontally. "You've only just stopped returning your breakfast."

"Yeah. Which means I have nothing more in so we can go again."

"Ew." Kurt wrinkled his nose, handing him a bottle of water, which the taller boy started chugging down eagerly. "And no."

"Hey, you were perfectly fine the whole time! Well, apart from that moment at the beginning when you lost it a little. And _I_ was the one freaking out and losing my breakfast so how come _I'm_ the one who wants to go again?"

Kurt crossed his arms. "Like I said, you're a masochist."

"Is that, like, a guy who gives massages and likes roller coasters?"

Kurt had to chuckle. "Honestly, the connections your brain makes."

"Still, you totally laughed, dude," the taller boy pointed out, giving him his most charming grin.

Kurt pouted. "Cut the charm, Hudson. We're still not going," he stated categorically. "If I don't get you back home in the same state you left, Carole will skin me alive, and then my dad will chop to pieces any parts left by your mom."

"Think they'd let me watch?" Finn asked evilly.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "You're really not as funny as you think."

"I try," Finn grinned. "And I really want to go again!"

Kurt sighed. "Honestly, Finn. Don't be a broken record. There's at least _three dozen_ other rides here. How about we go on-" he consulted the map Blaine had given them. "- Jester's Wild Ride? It's not far and seems fun. The kind of fun where you _don't_ puke your guts out."

Finn looked over Kurt's shoulder at the map. "That's for kiddies!"

"Precisely."

"Kuuurt!" he whined.

"You're going to be a stubborn jerk about this, aren't you?" Kurt asked with a long-suffering sigh.

"Dude, that's like the pot calling the kettle a stubborn jerk, you know."

Kurt's mouth twitched upwards but he crossed his hands and stood his ground.

"Come on, Kurt!" Finn pleaded. "When will you get the next chance to watch me scream like a girl and freak out like that?"

"Probably the next time your mom makes you clean your room," the smaller boy replied knowingly.

Finn winced at the memory but he wasn't letting Kurt set him off track. "Kurt, dude, budge! No one likes a…a non-budging guy!"

Kurt gave him a sideways look but the smile on his face gave him away.

"I hate you sometimes," he grumbled and finally let himself be led off to the queue for The Batman.

"And you love me the rest of the time," Finn replied with a nonchalant grin.

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes at him, hands on his hips. "There's a very thin line between love and murderous rage, you know," he remarked pleasantly. "One day you'll cross it and I'll be there waiting with an axe."

"I never pictured you as an axe murderer," Finn deadpanned, undeterred by Kurt's death glare. "Too messy. More a sneaky killer ninja."

"You know me so well." Kurt rolled his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

Finn chuckled and his hand shot out to ruffle Kurt's hair but the other boy moved away with a warning look. "Killer. Ninja," he enunciated.

Finn slowly retracted his hand. "Ok, scary Kurt."

The countertenor nodded in satisfaction. "Don't you forget it," he said menacingly. Then the line began to move. "Come on, our turn. You'd better keep it together. And I'm _not_ holding your hand this time."

**XxXxXxX**

They went on a couple more rides, Finn mercifully not making Kurt go on any more attractions with killing potential, and the countertenor had to grudgingly admit that his brother's enthusiasm was infectious. He was surprised to find himself grinning and having a really good time. He had no idea when five came and it was time to meet Blaine.

The show itself was amusing and Blaine could actually show off some of his impressive singing and dancing skills. His number was quite the show-stopper…even if it was done in a fluffy elephant costume.

When they met up with him afterwards, Kurt smiled at him evilly, going through the pictures he'd made with his iPhone.

"You're very photogenic," he remarked with a smirk. "Though unfortunately the elephant ears didn't fit whole into most photos."

The black-haired boy groaned. "It was just a step-in! Normally I'm in a suit!"

"It's a shame," Kurt said levelly. "You make such a cute, fluffy elephant."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hear the end of it now, am I?"

"Nope," Kurt agreed happily. "Oh, the blackmail potential of these," he added evilly.

"I thought you were really cool, man," Finn offered.

"Well, at least one of you is supportive," Blaine huffed. "Oddly enough, it's not _my boyfriend._"

"I'm sorry, babe," Kurt said with a chuckle. "I'm really proud of you," he added wryly and placed a kiss on Blaine's cheek. "It's not easy to rock an elephant look."

Resigned, the Warbler sighed. "And you're still mocking."

"And I won't stop for at least the next couple of months," the countertenor informed him happily.

Blaine narrowed his eyes at him. "Why did I want you to visit me at all again?"

"Because I'm gorgeous and you love me," Kurt replied cheekily. "Plus, I give a mean back rub, and Finn's really helpful with carrying stuff."

"Unfortunately, you're right," the Warbler sighed, secretly loving how at ease Kurt seemed to be with acknowledging his confession of love, especially after the distance he'd kept the first time Blaine said it. "On all accounts."

"So I can post the pictures on facebook?"

"Just because I love you, doesn't mean I won't maim you."

"Just avoid the face," Kurt retorted.

Blaine shook his head. "You know vanity's not exactly a virtue, right?"

"So I've been told," Kurt replied breezily. "Finn, sweetie, your eyes are starting to cross," he added arching an eyebrow in his brother's direction.

Finn shook his head. "Um, sorry. Zoned out. Tennis has that effect on me."

Blaine chuckled. "Sorry about that, Finn."

"You can make it up to me by feeding me," the taller boy said hopefully. "Hot dogs?"

"Ah, the artery clogging part of the day," Kurt said disapprovingly. "I don't think so."

"Remember I still have the Hollister pictures with you in that pineapple shirt."

"Kurt at Hollister's?" Blaine asked incredulously. "Were you kidnapped and forced inside? Or was the police chasing you?"

"Dude, how did you know?"

"I know Kurt," Blaine shrugged. "There's no force in heaven or earth that could make him go there willingly. So this I really want to hear. Spill, Finn."

"Let's go get those hot dogs," Kurt said quickly before the quarterback managed to open his mouth.

"I thought you didn't want to clog your arteries?" the black-haired boy asked teasingly.

"I changed my mind," Kurt huffed.

Finn and Blaine exchanged amused glances as Kurt turned on his heel and stomped off. The two boys ran up to catch up to him, both giggling.

Finn allowed Kurt to bribe him with four hot dogs into not telling Blaine about their Hollister adventure, though with the prices, Kurt was sure their parents would have to take a second mortgage.

"I can't wait when my dad sees our bill. I hope it's a happy aneurism."

"Hey, Burt told us to have fun," Finn said defensively over his last hot dog. "That's what I'm doing."

Kurt arched an eyebrow at him. "Somehow I doubt trying to kill yourself with jumbo burgers and hot dogs at ridiculous prices is what he had in mind."

Finn grumbled something unintelligible, trying to stuff half of the hot dog he had left into his mouth at once.

"I can't watch this," he said with a mock shudder, turning to Blaine.

The black-haired boy just smiled at him. Kurt looked at him quizzically. The Warbler had been eerily quiet the entire time they were at the food court and Kurt was about to ask him what was going on when Blaine leaned in, his mouth hovering over his ear. Kurt shivered.

"You're really hot when you're bitchy," Blaine muttered huskily, letting his lips caress the soft skin under Kurt's ear. The countertenor felt color rise in his cheeks and a warmth spread through his skin and veins like fire.

"Dudes, get a room," Finn said with a grin.

"Unfortunately, the one I have here I have to share with _you_," Kurt shot back, pulling away from Blaine and trying to cover his flustered state.

Finn gave the two of them a look and smiled. He might be clueless but he wasn't blind. "Speaking of which, I think I'm gonna turn in."

"What? It's still early, Finn," Blaine protested. "I thought we could go dancing or something together."

"Nah, it's cool, dude," the quarterback assured him. "I'm kinda tired, you know." He yawned to make a point. "I'd only fall asleep on you on the dance-floor or in a queue."

"Is he serious?" Blaine asked incredulously, looking over to Kurt, who was giving Finn a suspicious gaze.

"Dead serious," he finally said, his eyes never leaving Finn. "Last week he fell asleep leaning on a wardrobe. His mom suspects him of narcolepsy."

"I so had a really bad crick in the neck after that one. Wardrobes really aren't comfy," Finn confirmed. "So, you two go ahead and have fun and I'll crash at our room."

"You sure?" Blaine tried one last time.

"Yeah, man. See you tomorrow."

When he turned around and trudged off, he smiled to himself. He could so be sneaky when he wanted to.

"Finn!"

He turned on his heel, watching Kurt run over to him.

"I know what you're doing," he said, his eyes sharp.

"I'm doing nothing, dude," he tried casually but inwardly, he sighed. He should have known Kurt would have him worked out in no time.

Kurt smiled at him. "In that case, thanks for nothing."

"It's cool, man."

"You really didn't have to, though."

Finn sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "I'm spoiling your weekend with your boyfriend so the least I can do is let you guys have at least one proper night out without me hovering."

Kurt smiled at him fondly, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "You're not spoiling my weekend, Finn. I'm so sorry I ever gave you reason to think so," he said wistfully, remembering last week. "For all the bitching and complaining, I'm really happy you're here with me. I had fun today."

Finn's face lit up. "Really?"

"Don't make me say it again."

Finn grinned and pulled him into a hug.

"Have a good time," he said releasing him. Then he turned to Blaine, who was tactfully standing a few feet away. "Oh, and Blaine? Anything you do to him, I'll do to you."

Kurt gaped, wondering if you could actually die of mortification. Blaine raised an eyebrow.

Finn shoved his hands in his jeans pockets with a shrug. "What? It's what Burt told me to say."

**XxXxXxX**

_The next morning…_

"Wake up, sleepy heads. It's a beautiful day-"

"I swear, Blaine, if you break into U2, I'm going to set your whole supply of hair gel on fire and watch it burn," Kurt groaned, hiding his head under a pillow.

"He means it, dude," Finn muttered groggily from his bed.

The Warbler laughed. Kurt burrowed his head deeper under the pillow.

"You leave me no choice," Blaine said with an amused frown.

Knowingly, he perched a coffee cup on Kurt's night stand. Now he just had to wait. Soon enough, the aroma wafted through the air and straight to Kurt. The countertenor's eyes snapped open the moment he smelled the coffee.

"You play dirty, Anderson," he groaned, shooting him a reproachful look. Still, he sat up and took the cup into his hands.

"Whatever works," Blaine said with satisfaction. Then he turned to Finn, waving a bag. "And I've got croissants and bagels, too," he added encouragingly.

"Dude, why didn't you say so?" Finn was out of his bed in no time. He had no idea what _croi_-somethings were but he was pretty sure it was food, which was all he needed to know.

Blaine chuckled as he watched them both eat, munching on a croissant himself.

"So, what are we doing today?" Finn asked once he satisfied his first hunger.

"It's really warm and sunny outside. How about we hit the water park?" Blaine suggested.

Finn nodded eagerly but Kurt didn't look very enthusiastic.

Blaine nudged him in the side. "Come on, Kurt. There's slides, public outdoor showers, diving boards. Plus trashy deck chairs."

Kurt chuckled. "You had me at public showers."

**XxXxXxX**

"Kurt, if you put any more of that sunscreen on you, you're going to slide off your deck chair," Blaine remarked with amusement, having watched his boyfriend apply layer after layer of the suntan lotion for the last fifteen minutes with growing incredulity.

"Not everyone's blessed with a dark, sun-resistant complexion," Kurt said, disgruntled. He put the lotion down, perched his Ray Bans on the tip of his nose and gave him a steady look. "At least I won't get skin cancer or worse, freckles."

Blaine quirked an eyebrow at him. "You know, there's a perfectly good Harry Potter quote that I really want to use right now."

"Don't you quote Harry Potter on me, Anderson," Kurt replied levelly. "I already know you're a nerd."

"It takes one to know one," the black-haired boy retorted.

"Touché," Kurt chuckled.

On Kurt's other side, Finn sat up in his deck chair. "Dude, what does that even _mean_?"

"Nothing to worry your goofy head about," the countertenor replied airily.

Finn shrugged and looked to the pool longingly. "I think I'm gonna go in."

"Me too," Blaine agreed, jumping up from his chair. "Wanna race?"

"You're gonna lose, dude."

"Then you've got nothing to worry about," the shorter boy replied challengingly.

Finn grinned. Blaine grinned. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please," the countertenor groaned. "Are you twelve?"

"Twenty laps?" Finn said ignoring him.

"Bring it on," Blaine shot back. Then he looked down at his boyfriend. "Kurt, are you gonna be ok?"

The countertenor waved them both off. "I'm fine. Actually, I'm glad you two are getting along so well. It's kind of charming." He smiled. "I'm just being bitchy. For fun."

"Um, ok, then," Blaine stuttered. "Whatever rocks your boat."

Kurt tried not to ogle his boyfriend as he made his way to the pool with Finn but knew it was no use. Blaine may be short but he was very nicely toned and his dark complexion only added to the appeal. The show was over too soon, though, because both boys jumped into the pool and the splashing began. Blaine was elegant and fluent in his motions while Finn's style looked more like he was drowning. Still, what he didn't have in technique, he more than made up with his long arms and legs.

"Boys," Kurt muttered and went back to his reading.

It wasn't long, though, before Finn and Blaine were out of the pool, splattering water everywhere, giggling and patting each other companionably on the backs. They made their way to Kurt.

"Dude, how can you be so fast when you're so short!" Finn was saying as they got to him.

"I'm not short. I'm built for speed and agility," Blaine retorted.

Kurt looked up at them. "I'm happy you had such great fun with your silly testosterone-laden face-off," he disparaged. "Now stop dripping and get out of my sun," he ordered and went back to his reading.

Finn and Blaine exchanged evil looks.

"Don't even think about it," Kurt said ominously, not taking his eyes off his magazine.

The boys squelched closer.

"I'm warning you," he straightened up in his chair. "Blaine, no. No. Finn! _No!"_

**XxXxXxX**

"Since we're all wet now," Blaine said, "how about we hit the slides?"

"Awesome!" Finn jumped at the idea.

Kurt, soaked from head to toe and silently boiling in his deck chair, narrowed his eyes at them. "I'm still not talking to either of you."

"You don't have to talk," Blaine said, undeterred by Kurt's tone. "You just have to come with us."

"No."

"Come on, sulking isn't a good look on you," the Warbler nudged him in the side playfully. "And Mega Wedgie is only a couple yards away."

Kurt almost lost his composure at that. "Mega _what_?"

"Mega Wedgie. It's actually really cool. One of my faves."

Kurt stared at him. "I'm starting to seriously rethink my relationship with you," he said levelly and Blaine chuckled.

"And I think it's really cool!" Finn exclaimed happily.

_10 minutes later..._

It so _wasn't _cool. It was _frigging scary_. As Finn looked down at the place where the floor dropped down into an almost vertically placed, dark tube that was the slide, he swallowed.

"You know what, I…I think I'll sit this one out."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him, folding his hands. "And I think you're a chicken," he challenged.

Finn scowled. "I may be a chicken but I'm not a suicidal chicken," he retorted, taking another cautious look into the darkness.

"No way you're bailing, Hudson," Kurt stated. "I had to go into the pool so you sure as hell are going into the slide."

"I forgot I'm scared of heights," Finn mumbled, face white. "Like, really. And of narrow, dark slides filled with water. I used to take meds for it."

"It's fine, Finn," Blaine said reassuringly. "Believe me, I've been on this slide dozens of times and it's _fun_, nothing to be scared of."

"I'm not scared. I just don't wanna die!"

"You're not going to die, Finn," the Warbler said with a chuckle and Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's perfectly safe."

"But if I get stuck inside or-"

"Look, we're not going to make you do anything you don't want to but-"

"Oh, for Gaga's sake!" Kurt burst, giving Finn a shove.

The taller boy stumbled and plunged into the slide.

Blaine quirked an eyebrow at him, pursing his lips. Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, you know you wanted to do the same."

**XxXxXxX**

"It hurts, Kurt!" Finn whined.

Kurt sighed, plopping down next to him on his hotel bed. He winced looking at his brother's back, which was angrily red and blistered.

"I brought some ice," he sighed. "It should help," he added, gently putting ice cubes wrapped in a towel on Finn's back.

The taller boy stiffened, hissing and cursing under his breath. "I'm never going into the sun again," he mumbled weakly.

Kurt smiled. "You'll get better in no time."

Then there was a knock and Blaine put his head through the door. "Hey. I brought Pepto-Bismol and some aloe vera."

"Thanks," Kurt smiled gratefully. He looked to Finn, who seemed to be dozing off, and got up.

He went outside to meet Blaine, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall, folding his hands behind him. The other boy looked at him, his eyes full of concern.

"Is he going to be fine?"

"Yeah," Kurt sighed. "It's just a sunburn mixed with overexcitement. Nothing some sleep and ice can't fix."

"I'm sorry. Anything I can do?"

"No, we'll be fine," Kurt assured him. "And it's not your fault. But I have to take care of him or he won't be able to sleep at night. And neither will I."

Blaine put a hand to his cheek, gazing fondly into Kurt's eyes. Kurt smiled softly and covered his boyfriend's hand with his own.

"I wanted to tell you for a long time now, it's pretty amazing. The thing you two have," he said softly. "I'm kinda jealous, to be honest. Now I see what I'm missing being an only child."

"You want him?" Kurt asked peevishly. "I'll give him up for free."

Blaine laughed. He put his hands around Kurt's waist and brought him closer. "No, you won't," he said tenderly.

The countertenor bit his lip, placing his hands on the other boy's chest. "You're right," he replied thoughtfully. He'd been gradually coming to a certain realization this week and now it became crystal-clear in his mind. "I never thought it possible, but I can't imagine my life without Finn in it now. He's a pretty amazing brother."

"So are you."

Kurt smiled at him gratefully and gave him a peck on the lips. "And you're a pretty amazing boyfriend, Blaine Anderson."

"I know."

"When I'm done pulling a Florence Nightingale on the dimwit inside, how about we go out to dinner?" he offered shyly. "We still have a couple hours," he added wistfully. This was their last chance because their plane was leaving at 7 am tomorrow.

"Kurt Hummel, are you asking me on a date?"

"Indeed I am, Blaine Warbler," Kurt replied in the same tone, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"You do know I have a surname, right?"

"Never could remember it," Kurt replied teasingly, his eyes flashing happy sparks and all Blaine could do was lean in and connect their lips.

**XxXxXxX**

It was only after a lengthy, I-crush-you-against-the-door-and-leave-you-breathless kiss that Blaine allowed Kurt to get back inside. He was still deep in Blaineville when Finn let out a groan from the bed. With a long-suffering sigh, Kurt dragged his head out of the clouds and came over to him.

"You did this to yourself, you know," he grumbled. "I told you not to stay in the sun too long."

"I wanted to impress Rach with my cool macho tan when we get back to Lima!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "And you end up looking like a lobster. Great going, Finn. Rachel will be _thrilled_."

"Still, it was worth it," the taller boy said, turning his head to the side to look at his brother. "I had a really great time, Kurt. Thanks for taking me with you."

"You left me no choice, remember?" the other boy said wryly. "But I'm glad you didn't. I wouldn't know what I'd be missing," he said with a fond smile. Then he shook his head because Finn was giving him that dopey, puppy-dog look. "Ok, enough sap. Lay back so I can put some ointment on your toast of a back."

Finn winced. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Revenge is sweet," Kurt smiled evilly.

* * *

And you've reached the end! I hope you liked this and if you're wondering whether to review, please do:)

Have a nice Sunday, and till next time!


	44. Sleepless in Lima

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Here.

**A/N: **Seriously, guys, I'm thinking of just taking all your reviews and putting them on my wall. You're amazing and thank you for the encouragement you give me :D

**A/N2: **I've been toying with this idea ever since I saw Chris talk about his 'sleeping habits' on Ellen (lol, apparently when he sleepwalks, he buys stuff online;). So, giving it a Furt spin was just a matter of time… I hope you'll enjoy this!

_I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my friend from Norway__, __**Lunalike**__. The appalling tragedy in your peaceful, beautiful country moved the whole world and we're with you!_

* * *

**Sleep****less in Lima**

Kurt sighed contentedly. This was turning out to be a really nice, peaceful afternoon. The parents were still at work, Finn was nowhere in sight, and Kurt had the whole house to himself. He'd done some work on his musical, made a list of items to buy on his next trip to the mall with Mercedes and he was now planning to chill a bit on the living room couch with the newest copy of Vogue and a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. Pure bliss of a lazy summer day.

Sinking deeper into the couch, he tucked his legs underneath him and reached for his magazine-

-when suddenly there was loud stomping on the stairs and Kurt knew that was the end of peace in peaceful. Soon enough, Finn trudged in and seeing him, grinned and basically threw himself on the couch and Kurt.

The countertenor let out a surprised 'Oomph!' as all air was knocked out of his lungs by the impact.

Finn didn't seem to mind as he stretched and yawned, his head landing in his brother's lap comfortably.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kurt hissed down at him, shoving him away. Well, trying to. Moving the jolly giant as much as an inch was exactly as hard as it looked.

"Trying to take a nap," Finn replied cheekily, letting out another yawn. "Do you mind?"

Kurt ground his teeth, praying to McQueen and other gods for patience.

"Actually, I do. And I really don't need to see your tonsils," he scolded as Finn gave him another yawn in response. "I have enough fuel for nightmares as it is."

Finn mumbled something unintelligible and settled himself even more comfortably, sighing happily.

"I'm not a pillow, dammit!" Kurt objected gruffly.

"True," Finn muttered sleepily. "You talk too much. And you're way too bitchy."

Kurt counted to ten silently, his hands falling to his sides in a resigned manner. "I really don't understand why you insist on staying here, then, when you've got a perfectly good room of your own to sleep in, devoid of all the talking and bitchery."

"I just came from there," Finn informed him flatly. "The game marathon was a blast but the guys left a pretty huge mess. There's nowhere to sit, except, like, in the wardrobe. And it's really uncomfortable there. I tried."

"Of course you have," Kurt replied with barely concealed amusement.

It was only an hour ago that Puck, Sam, Mike and Artie had left. Kurt had heard suspicious noises from upstairs but he figured it was the games. Apparently, tearing down Finn's room was part of it.

"You know, a normal person would start cleaning up after their guests, not try to get inside a wardrobe." He sighed. "But I guess that definition automatically excludes you."

"I'm waiting for mom to come home and make me," the taller boy said cheerfully. "In the mean time, I thought I'd bug you. You looked way too comfy and happy here."

"How thoughtful of you," Kurt replied sarcastically.

"So, what are you doing?" Finn asked, ignoring his stepbrother's tone.

"What I _was_ doing was trying to relax. Now I've gone from that to considering the various ways of throttling you," he said pleasantly. "It's also relaxing, actually," he mused evilly, watching with satisfaction as Finn's eyes widened. "In a bloody way."

"Um, I thought throttling was kinda…non-bloody?" the quarterback asked tentatively.

"Not the way I'm planning on doing it."

Finn swallowed. "I think I'm going to start locking my bedroom door at night."

"Your door has no lock, Finn," Kurt pointed out. "But don't worry, I wouldn't step into your room if they paid me. "

"I knew my mess would save my life one day," the taller boy deadpanned.

Kurt let out a chuckle. "_Any_ reason to justify not cleaning up is good for you, isn't it?"

"Pretty much," Finn said with a shrug, his gaze wandering around the room. His eyes settled on the Vogue and without hesitation, he reached for it.

Kurt watched with wide eyes as Finn looked the cover over and then flipped it open and _started. Reading_._ Vogue._

"Um, I was going to read that," he muttered weakly, still not quite believing his eyes.

"Sorry. This article on 'getting your combat vibe on' seems fun."

Kurt found himself goggling down at him. "Finn, have you hit your head trying to get into that wardrobe? Or to use Artie's words, I believe, has your soul been possessed by aliens?"

"Neither," Finn replied levelly. Then he looked up at Kurt. "It would be kinda cool, though. The aliens, not the wardrobe."

"Your warped definition of 'cool' aside, I still have the urge to pinch myself. You are aware this is a _fashion magazine _you're reading?"

"Yes. And I can pinch you if you like," Finn offered helpfully.

The countertenor narrowed his eyes at him and the taller boy sighed.

"It's just, Rachel's been talking to me about feelings and stuff…" Finn began awkwardly, wincing as if he'd rather have her shove nails under his fingernails.

Kurt looked at him quizzically because what in Prada's name did _feelings _have to do with-

"You know," the quarterback continued, "about being supportive and getting into what the people I care about like and stuff…to, like, get them better? She said I seriously suck in that compartment."

Kurt's lips twitched upwards but he decided it was best he didn't interrupt to point out the word Finn probably meant was 'department' because while he still had no idea where this was going, to hear Finn talk with any degree of sensitivity was sort of mind-blowing. Rachel really could be a good influence. Go figure.

"And I figured I should start with you cuz, you know, we live together and you're my brother," the other boy went on with obvious unease. "But most of all, cuz you're totally my best friend and I haven't been exactly supportive or understanding about your...stuff," he finished, his memory obviously going back to one particular night the previous year.

Kurt blinked. He was _not _expecting that. He had tamped down any hopes of connecting with Finn over any common interests a long time ago because they simply had none. Finn was the most boyish of boys he knew and he'd come to accept that his stepbrother wouldn't touch things like a Jodie Picoult book or _Wicked_ soundtrack with a stick. Besides, he had Blaine for that now. Still, it pained him sometimes because it seemed like their whole relationship was based on nothing but Glee and the fact that their parents were married. Once they graduated and Glee was over, there would be basically nothing keeping them together and Kurt really didn't want them to become strangers who only met for Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Hence, hearing that Finn also didn't want that was making this fuzzy warmth build around his heart.

But there was more. Even though they were so good and comfortable with each other now, there was always this little, vicious voice at the back of Kurt's head that told him it was just an illusion, that one day he would wake up and find Finn still afraid of or disgusted with him, and wanting nothing to do with him. He didn't think he could handle that now, Finn had come to mean too much to him as a friend and brother. And Kurt Hummel didn't bestow love or affection lightly. So whenever Finn spoke his mind and heart like he just did, it made Kurt's sarcastic and guarded heart overflow with joy that maybe not all was lost and there really was more to them than just Glee and their parents.

"I'm not saying I'm gonna start gushing over musicals or something," Finn's voice cut through his thoughts, "though Rach's been pushing me about that," he let out a pained groan, "but I guess it wouldn't kill me to find out more about the stuff you're into. You've been on the football team with me and you've even kicked my ass at Call of Duty but me, I never, like, tried anything you like. Well, not without you threatening to maim me, anyways," he added as an afterthought remembering a couple of trips to the mall. "Cuz I want us to be close, y'know? I dunno what's gonna happen with us after high school but I know I want you in my life, like, for good."

Kurt continued to stare at him, once again marveling at Finn's uncanny ability to make him feel irritation, surprise and utter love in the span of a couple of minutes.

"Dude, say something?" the quarterback asked sheepishly. "Have I mixed the words up again and you're thinking of the best way to skin me?"

Kurt shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his lips. He couldn't help but lean down and place a kiss on Finn's forehead.

"So…you don't want to skin me?" he asked with a grin once Kurt sat up straight again.

"Not at the moment," the countertenor assured him wryly. "And while I doubt you'll ever be into show tunes or fashion any more than I'll be into football or video games," he continued softly, his throat feeling a bit tight, "I want you in my life, too," he admitted. "What would my life be without a clueless, goofy jock in it?" he added playfully.

"So boring, dude," Finn beamed at him relieved, awkwardness and unease falling off his shoulders. He'd feared that Kurt, what with his talent and sophistication and refined tastes, would want nothing to do with him once they weren't forced by Glee and their parents to spend time together. They had agreed to go to NY to college together but didn't speak of it since and Finn had started to wonder. And Rachel's speech about 'feelings' finally made him want to make sure.

"Just don't expect _me_ to start watching baseball with you," Kurt warned. "Watching those hideous outfits for too long gives me an allergic reaction."

"As long as you don't make me go to the mall with you ever again."

They looked at each other steadily for a moment before saying, "Deal."

Then Finn went back to Vogue and Kurt, with a still disbelieving shake of his head, turned the TV on and settled on a re-run of 'What Not To Wear', quickly becoming captivated by Clinton Kelly tearing some leopard-pattern-clad housewife a new one.

When the show ended, Kurt looked down at Finn, whose head was still resting in his lap. The taller boy was still reading the magazine, and seemed quite engrossed in it. Feeling Kurt's gaze on him, he looked up.

"What? It's not bad. I mean, the chicks are really hot."

"Of course," Kurt rolled his eyes. "I hope you haven't drooled all over it."

Finn was about to stick his tongue out at him when the door opened and they heard Carole calling them. Finn sat up.

"I'd better get back to my room," he muttered. "In case my mom asks, I've been there the whole time cleaning."

"You honestly think she'll believe that?" Kurt asked, his lips twitching upwards in amusement. "She's been your mom for a long time, Finn."

"Just do it, dude. Please?"

"Fine," Kurt conceded. "Go already."

**XxXxXxX**

Two hours later, Finn plopped down on the armchair in Kurt's _immaculately tidy _room. He was exhausted from all the cleaning and his mom was furious with him. Kurt was lounging on his bed with his laptop perched on his knees but when Finn trudged in, he looked up, giving him an inquisitive glance.

"I'm screwed," Finn announced, sinking deeper into the armchair.

"I figured. It was hard not to hear Carole yell."

"Well, yeah. That's cuz my bed's broken."

"What do you mean, _broken_?" Kurt asked bewildered.

"Like, in half?" Finn muttered "Mom sat on it and it gave under. Probably cuz Sam and Puck had been kinda wrestling for the last Doritos and jumping on it earlier."

Kurt rubbed a hand over his forehead. "And you wonder why I don't partake in your game marathons," he said with a sigh. "The moment you get those controllers into your hands, you turn into a bunch of Neanderthals."

"Hey, it's not that bad!"

"That's like saying Hurricane Katrina wasn't that bad."

A huffy 'hmph' was all that Finn was able to articulate in his and the guys' defense. Kurt had a point. They did get carried away sometimes. Especially when they were facing something as disastrous as running out of Doritos.

"Mom's ordered a new bed but I've got to sleep on the couch in the living room till it gets here," he said with a frown. "And I don't even fit on it, my legs dangle from the knee down!"

"You'll have to learn to sleep curled up, then."

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "Hey, I came here for a bit of brotherly compassion and understanding!" he exclaimed in a hurt tone. "I had my room thrashed and have no place to sleep and you're getting all…_Kurt_ on me!"

"My bad," Kurt said with a raised eyebrow, his lips twitching upwards. "But seeing as being _me _is the only thing I can offer, it's your bad day. I'm simply not very good at empathy for lazy dimwits who let their jock friends run amok in their house. It's sarcasm or...nope, sorry, just sarcasm."

"I think you're reaching new levels here, dude. Were you just sarcastic about sarcasm?"

Kurt smiled peevishly. "I might have."

Finn scowled. "You _really_ suck at the whole brotherly-support thing, you know."

The smaller boy sighed. "Look at it this way. It isn't all that bad. Sure, you've got nowhere to sleep, your mom's furious with you _and_ you'll probably have to pay a new bed off with your allowance but you've learned a valuable life lesson – never let your friends wrestle on your bed."

Finn shot him a dark glance.

"Now, wasn't that all supportive and brotherly?" Kurt asked with a smirk.

"Do I have to actually answer or can I just glare?"

**XxXxXxX**

It was well past midnight and Kurt had just turned off the lights, settling down in his bed with a happy sigh. His happiness was short-lived, though. Not five minutes passed when there was a knock on the door. He groaned and turned towards the door just in time to see Finn tiptoe inside, wrapped up in a blanket and with a pillow under one arm.

"Tell me I'm already asleep and you're just a figment of my obviously sick imagination," Kurt said into the darkness, making Finn jump.

"Dude, you scared me!" the taller boy exclaimed. "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I don't know. Maybe because some dimwit decided to skulk around my room in the dark and woke me."

"Sorry," Finn offered and was quiet.

"You're still here," Kurt observed after a while.

"Yeah. It's just that, uh, can I sleep here?" the quarterback asked weakly. "I'll sleep on the floor or whatever, I just really don't want to sleep in the living room."

"Are you saying the floor's more comfortable than the couch?"

"Yes?"

"Once again, only try without the question mark," Kurt huffed and sat up, switching his night lamp on. They both hissed as the light hit their eyes. "What's this really about, Finn?"

The quarterback shifted from foot to foot, looking everywhere but at him.

"Finn. Talk," Kurt urged him with a pout. "I want to still be seventeen when this conversation's over."

The taller teen sighed, squeezing his pillow tighter.

"It's just…those figurines my mom keeps on the mantelpiece," he finally blurted out. Kurt arched an eyebrow. They were indeed ugly but he'd given up on convincing Carole to throw them away some time ago. The woman could be truly adamant when she wanted to. Still, he never thought Finn would be a person bothered by _home decor._

"They kinda freak me out," Finn went on to explain, albeit unwillingly. "I feel like they're watching me. When I was a kid, I used to have nightmares of them coming alive and dragging me to the basement."

Finn squirmed, waiting for a sarcastic comment or a biting remark about being childish and silly but they never came. Kurt was silent and when Finn chanced a glance at him, he caught his brother looking at him with fondness, his eyes big and bright in the dim light of the night lamp. It was a flash, though, and then Kurt's features molded back into a mask of slight annoyance.

He wasn't about to blab to Finn that he more than understood about nightmares. With his mom dead and all the bullying he'd suffered, they were a given in Kurt's life. Still, he didn't feel like sharing that particular part of his life with Finn right now or he wouldn't be able to fall asleep at all. And would probably end up crying. Instead, he resorted to a curt nod.

"All right," he conceded. "You can sleep here. But one snore and you're out."

"Hey, you know I can't really control it!"

"Try," Kurt shot back, snuggling himself back under the covers and turning the light off.

"Hmph," Finn huffed indignantly but hurried to settle himself down before the other boy changed his mind.

After some more tossing and turning Finn had finally gone quiet and Kurt felt himself drifting off to sleep.

It didn't last, though.

"Hey, um, Kurt?"

"Sleeping."

"Then why are you talking back to me?" Finn asked rather rationally. It didn't make it any less infuriating, though.

"Won't make that mistake again, promise," Kurt muttered sleepily.

"Seriously, dude," Finn pressed.

The countertenor turned on his other side and groaned, "What is it, Finn? And can't it wait till morning?"

"It kinda can't," the taller boy said.

"If it's anything short of you murdering somebody, _it can wait_," he hissed.

"It's just that…your floor's kinda hard and uncomfortable."

"You're kidding."

"No. It's really hard and not comfy."

Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose, amusement fighting with exasperation on his features.

"It's a _floor_. It's supposed to be hard," he snapped. "You're not getting into my bed. You did this to yourself. It's not my fault you have Neanderthal friends who go around breaking stuff."

"They're your friends, too," Finn pointed out.

"Yes, but I don't let them wreak havoc in _my_ room."

"Come on, Kurt," the taller boy pleaded. "It's a big bed and I don't move around too much."

"No."

"But Kuuuurt," Finn whined.

"No way."

"You can't leave me here like this and just go to sleep!"

"Watch me."

"You're mean."

"Thank you."

"I really don't like you right now."

"I'll live."

"But I won't! It's really uncom-"

"All right, dammit!" Kurt finally gave in, grinding his teeth. "Gaga, you're such a pain!"

"Anything that gets the job done," Finn deadpanned and Kurt could almost _see_ his lopsided grin in the dark.

He rolled his eyes. "But if you hog the sheets or kick me with your giant long limbs _one single time_, you're hitting the floor."

"Cool."

Kurt scooted over to the far end of his bed to make space. He felt the covers lift and the mattress dip to the side as his brother settled down next to him.

"Thanks," Finn breathed into the dark with a happy sigh.

"You're welcome," Kurt replied gruffly. "This is the one and only time, mind you. If your new bed doesn't arrive tomorrow, you can sleep in the backyard for all I care."

"Sure," Finn mumbled dismissively, half-asleep already. "Stop talking and go to sleep."

"I'm serious, Finn."

"Sleeping."

Kurt huffed in irritation. He could feel Finn's body shake lightly as the other boy chuckled soundlessly.

"G'night, Kurt."

Kurt sighed. "Night, Finn. You jerk."

"Love you, too."

**XxXxXxX**

He had a dream where he was the King of Burgers and everyone paid him homage in dozens and dozens of cheeseburgers and jumbo burgers. There were mountains of food all around him and more was being delivered. It was so awesome. Until one person, who looked eerily like a certain sassy brother of his, came up to his throne and flung a burger straight into his face. Finn woke up with a gasp to find there was something warm on his face. He hoped it wasn't a jumbo burger because that would be hard to explain to Kurt. When he came to a bit more, he realized half-relieved and half-disappointed that it wasn't a burger at all. It was Kurt's hand.

Gently, Finn removed it from his forehead and turned onto his side away from him. He looked at the clock on the bed-side table. One. He let out a silent sigh and closed his eyes.

It was almost two when Finn jerked awake again, feeling his blanket slip away from him. He glanced over his shoulder, about to take back what was his, brutally if need be, but stopped half-way as he saw Kurt curled into a ball, all warm and snuggly. He looked so young and so serene, so _un-Kurt-like_, that Finn didn't have the heart to take the blanket and wake him. Besides, it was _his _bed.

He drew his knees up to his chest and let himself drift off into sleep. It wasn't long, however, before his eyes were snapping open again. Three forty. Catching some movement and an eerie light in the corner of his eye, he leapt to a sitting position. And gaped.

Kurt was sitting at his laptop, clicking away. Finn watched him for a while before he was sure. His brother's moves were stiff and zombie-like and his eyes were half-lidded. He was still asleep.

And sleep-shopping.

Again.

Finn had learned of Kurt's…affliction on a certain afternoon when a life-sized cardboard cutout of Arnold Schwarzenegger was delivered home. Burt took one look at it and ran a hand over his head.

"It's started again," the elder Hummel said grimly and Finn almost broke his head trying to figure out what it was exactly that started again because it sounded really serious. Like an alien invasion or something. Finn had always had his suspicions about the Terminator being from outer space.

"Kurt…he's a sleep-walker," Burt went on to explain, cutting Finn's train of thought short. Huh. No aliens, then. He sat down and listened intently, though, seeing it wasn't easy for his stepfather to talk about this.

"Ever since his mother died, he's been a restless sleeper," the elder Hummel continued, sitting himself down opposite Finn. "And some time later, the sleep-walking began. When he was smaller, I'd find him in the kitchen in the middle of the night eating Raisin Bran or in the living room with the TV turned on. And when he got a computer, the packages started turning up. Believe me, this-" he motioned at Arnold, currently propped against the wall. "-is one of the least strange," he chuckled.

Finn nodded, feeling quite proud and flattered that his stepdad was talking to him like he was a mature, trustworthy adult. Which he totally was.

"We've been to therapists but nothing really helps," Burt went on. "Apparently, it's some kind of a safety mechanism Kurt's brain developed after his mom's death. It's not a regular thing, though. It only happens when he's stressed or there's something big on his mind. It's been a year since it last happened," he finished with a sigh.

"So…he buys random stuff online when he's asleep?" Finn wanted to make sure he understood correctly.

"And he's totally mortified by it," Burt replied pointedly. "So I'd rather you didn't bring it up with him. And keep it to yourself."

Finn was about to reply when there were steps in the corridor and Kurt swooped in gracefully.

"Did I hear a doorbell?" he asked cheerfully. "Was that-" he let his voice trail when his eyes landed on the Terminator scowling at him from the corner of the room. Blanching, he looked to his dad and then he noticed Finn was also there, and his eyes widened even more.

He hid his face in his hands. "Oh dear God, I did again, didn't I?" he muttered wondering if one could die of mortification.

"Unless you've suddenly developed a taste for muscular robots from the future, I'm afraid so," Burt sighed, trying to make light of it.

"It's cool, actually," Finn added.

Kurt's eyes widened so much that Finn was afraid they'd fall out.

"Dad, you _told_ him?"

"Of course I did. He's your brother. And frankly, any excuse I could come up with was even worse."

Kurt glanced at Finn fearfully and quickly lowered his gaze. The taller boy sensed the memories of last year flashed behind his eyes.

"Finn…I want you to know I…I don't do anything else...," Kurt stuttered. "Like walk into other people's rooms," he mumbled, color rising in his cheeks. "But if you feel like closing your door when I'm home, I…I'll understand. Just, please don't tell Rachel. Or anyone else."

"Kurt, you're my bro. And you know what they say about bros," he added, glancing towards Burt and deciding not to finish that sentence. Kurt still wouldn't look at him so he came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Dude, I'm not gonna tell anyone," he assured him. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, ok?" _Again_, he thought contritely.

Kurt seemed to relax a bit but his gaze was still glued to the floor.

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed about. I meant it when I said it's cool," Finn tried soothingly and put an arm around him. "And we can use Captain Muscles for aiming practice with my paintball gun. I always wanted to shoot the Terminator," he grinned.

He remembered Kurt finally daring to look at him and he tried to flash him his best lopsided grin. It must have worked because the next thing he recollected was Kurt giving him one of those rare, full smiles of his that lit up the whole room.

They had had a blast shooting Arnold to smithereens.

After that it was a fishing rod, and some time later a monster truck tire. Finn had actually found the whole thing exciting and even managed to convince Kurt of that, at least to the point that his brother wasn't embarrassed and mortified about the whole thing anymore. They never knew what could be coming in the next package and they took turns to find fun ways of dealing with them. Finn was actually quite proud of himself and Kurt's genuine smiles and Burt's fond looks assured him he was doing something right.

And then, six months ago, just like it had begun, it stopped.

Apparently, not for good, though.

Finn was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard shuffling. Having apparently finished his shopping for the night, Kurt was now stumbling about the room. The quarterback pushed the sheets away and got up with the intention of bringing the other boy back to bed so that he didn't trip or fall.

He put an arm around Kurt's slim shoulders and stopped him. "Hey, it's sleep time now," he muttered gently.

"Must water the geraniums…" Kurt murmured, his head lolling to one side.

Finn sighed. "Come on, buddy, let's get you back to bed."

"Mm'kay. Water the geraniums tomorrow. Love you, Finn," he slurred and let himself be led off to bed.

When Finn tucked him in, he gingerly lay down himself, almost afraid to fall asleep for fear he might be torn out of his sleep again. When he finally got over that, it was almost half past four. Kurt was hogging the sheets again but he had that peaceful, sweet look on his face again so Finn decided to suck it up and let him be.

It was past five when Kurt had a nightmare. Finn woke up with a start to the sound of whimpering and sniffling. Then Kurt began to thrash erratically and Finn had to dodge a knee to the groin by making a swift roll in the other direction, which brought him tumbling off the bed. He groaned as his elbow and knee connected with the floor painfully. With a sigh, he turned onto his back and considered simply staying where he was for the rest of the night.

Then he heard Kurt let out a particularly pained whimper and he knew he couldn't leave him like that. Kurt never talked about it, probably because it was too painful and embarrassing, and well, he was _Kurt_, but Finn wasn't blind. He concealed it well from the outside world but he couldn't hide it from his stepbrother. He knew that everything his stepbrother held bottled up inside, which was _a lot_, came to haunt him in the nights, and though he wasn't the most observant or sneakiest...ok, he was none of those but he _did_ notice things. And it was hard to miss the shadows under Kurt's eyes or weariness etched in the lines on his forehead and around his mouth on some mornings after a bad night before he put the make-up on. It always pained Finn to see him like that but one warning look from Kurt always made it more than clear he didn't want to talk about it.

Finn respected that, albeit unwillingly, but he couldn't let this chance to do something about it go by. Even if Kurt freaked out on him in the morning. With that in mind, he climbed back into the bed and put his arms around the other teen's slim frame. Kurt stopped thrashing almost immediately and snuggled closer to him, only letting out an occasional whimper or sniffle. Finn had no idea where it all came from but he knew exactly what to do. He let Kurt's head rest under his arm and stroked his hair gently until the whimpering stopped completely. And when he saw his eyes flutter open, he smiled down at him and brushed a kiss over the top of his head. Kurt smiled groggily up at him and fell into a peaceful, undisturbed sleep. Finn watched over him until Morpheus finally took him under his wings, too.

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt woke up well rested and in a cheerful mood, which was strange considering he had fuzzy recollections of having one of _those nights_.

He lazily rubbed at his eyes, suddenly registering two things – the warmth and the noise. It was as if there was a freight train parked next to him in the bed. After a particularly loud snore, Kurt cracked an eye open, a snappish remark on the tip of his tongue...where it stayed.

Not only was Finn snoring practically into his ear but he was wrapped around Kurt, his own head buried in Finn's chest, with the other boy's arms comfortably around him.

Huh.

A year ago, the thought of Finn Hudson hugging him like this would have made his insides fluttery and tight, but now all he could feel was content and _safe_ and grateful that he wasn't an only child anymore. He stayed like that relishing Finn's warmth and closeness for a couple more minutes before carefully unwrapping himself from his arms just in time to smack the alarm, which had gone off.

Kurt heard Finn mumble under his breath and he watched with amusement as the other boy buried his head under the pillow.

With an impish smirk, he slipped out of bed and went to the window to tear the curtains open.

"Rise and shine," he announced wryly.

…and managed to dodge the pillow hurled at his head by a hair.

"Someone's in a good mood," Kurt quipped picking up the pillow and coming to stand over his stepbrother. "What was that for?" he asked.

"Dude, you kept me up all night," Finn mumbled, his words muffled by the pillow. "I'm never sleeping in the same room with you again."

Kurt felt a pang of remorse as more flashes from the night before started coming back to him. He remembered Finn staying with him through the worst of it and he felt both mortification and affection. He hated being weak or vulnerable in front of anyone but then again, if he had to choose someone with whom he could be less than strong, Finn would be his first choice. It hadn't always been like this but it definitely was now. It still amazed him but his stepbrother really _was_ growing up into this patient, kind and understanding guy. Goofy and clueless, too, but in his heart of hearts, Kurt would never want those parts of Finn to change. Still, it didn't make him feel any better about the current situation.

"Oh," he said softly, sitting gingerly on the bed beside him. "I…I'm really sorry, Finn."

One eye peered from under the pillow to look at him but Kurt looked away, feeling increasingly embarrassed.

"Hey," Finn said softly, nudging him in the arm and taking the pillow off his face entirely. "But it's no big deal. I was being an ass cuz I think my brain's still kinda broken after the night. But it's not your fault. It's not like you can control your nightmares or sleep-walking-"

"Oh God," Kurt uttered, hiding his face in his hands. "I sleep-walked, too?"

"I wonder what we'll get this time," Finn grinned in reply. "I hope it's something we can use for more shooting practice."

Kurt groaned. "Don't even try to turn this into a joke."

The taller boy looked at him steadily. "Hey, I'm not letting you get onto one of your guilt trips again, ok?"

The countertenor looked at him incredulously.

Finn smiled. "Yeah. I know you, dude."

Kurt sighed. "And the worst thing is, I think I like it that you do," he replied wryly. "Still, I'm really sorry."

"No need. Just remind me never to piss you off. Did you know you're, like, kinda really strong? You hogged the covers and even pushed _me_ off the bed," he said with a chuckle.

Kurt looked mortified again. He seemed to shrink in on himself as if he expected Finn to start yelling at him.

"Dude, I told you, it's ok! I'm not angry or anything!" the quarterback rushed to explain, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "It's what brothers are for, right? We take care of each other. I've got your back and you've got mine. I'm just glad I was here so that you didn't break your head or something, y'know?"

Kurt blinked, totally thrown, because really, how in the world did he miss the moment when Finn had grown into this kind, caring, _mature _man?

"Oh, Finn," he muttered and put his arms around him.

The taller boy reciprocated the hug, grinning like an idiot when Kurt pulled away because he was giving him that rare sincere and happy smile Finn liked so much.

"Thanks. For being there for me and making it ok. I might have been asleep but I think I felt you there," he said softly.

"Yeah, I got that. Once you get into it, you're like an octopus," Finn said teasingly watching as Kurt blushed a magnificent shade of red. "You wouldn't let go."

Kurt raised his chin. "Well, you could have left," he said haughtily. "No one was forcing you to stay, Mr. Freight Train."

"I told you I can't control it!" Finn replied defensively. "And I'm not complaining, I just didn't know you were a cuddler," he replied with a wicked grin.

He watched the impossible as Kurt's face managed to become beet-red and sheet-white at the same time.

"I wonder if Blaine knows," he added innocently.

In an act of helplessness, Kurt shoved a pillow over Finn's face to stop him talking. "I'm not going to hear the end of it now, am I?"

"No, sorry, dude," the quarterback replied getting the pillow off his face. "When you're embarrassed, you make the best faces ever."

Resigned, Kurt sighed. "Just don't mention it at breakfast, or you'll see what great faces my dad makes when he's on a killing spree."

Finn swallowed. "Uh, yeah, right. No worries, though, I think I'll just end up with my face in the plate anyhow, I'm so sleepy. If I even get there."

"You can sleep here after breakfast," Kurt offered, taking in Finn's red eyes and slightly ashen hue of his face. "And as long as your new bed doesn't arrive."

"Dude, thanks, but I think I'll go with the wardrobe. If I were to stay here with you, I'd need a helmet. And earplugs. And some rope," Finn teased and Kurt shot him a sideways look which was, however, offset by the smile curving his lips.

"Suit yourself," he replied with a shrug and opened the door to head for the bathroom. Half-way out, he stopped and turned on his heel.

"If you feel like it, we can take my baby for a spin later," he offered.

Finn's eyes snapped back open at that, lighting up immediately, because Kurt letting him anywhere _near_ his baby just didn't happen.

"And – I'm so going to regret this – you can drive."

Finn grinned and jumped out of bed immediately. Sleep meant nothing.

* * *

So, this is it, guys! It was long and I hope it at least partially makes up for the long wait! I really hope you liked this and you know the best way to let me now;)

Have a great Sunday and week, and until next time!


	45. 3x01: When I Grow Up

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **If I had Glee…

**A/N: **Aaaaand I'm back from the dead! Hello back, guys, and sorry for going AWOL on you these last weeks! My only excuse is life – you know, that thing that bugs you and drives you away from having fun? Yeah. So, please accept my apologies with this brand new, fresh-from-the-keyboard chapter:)

**A/N2:** Spoilers for 'Violet Piano Project' from now on!

So, Blaine's in, Santana's out, Quinn's having issues, Kurt's looking better than ever, Finn's jealous _and _pianos are going up in flames. Oh, Glee, how I've missed your insanity;)

With the beginning of the new school year, this story will be more or less back to episode-related pieces (but your prompts are always welcome, guys!). This one certainly is – there was no Furt to speak of but more than enough happened to give me inspiration to write some brotherly angsty fluff or fluffy angst...hmmm

Anyhoo, am stopping babbling and I'll let you read now:) Enjoy and I'll meet you at the bottom!

* * *

**When I Grow Up**

Kurt opened the door, juggling his bag and keys in one hand, while hugging his phone to his ear with the other. He stepped in and ground to a halt as soon as the door closed behind him. Either something really nasty had died and begun decomposing in their living room recently or-

"Oh no," he groaned into the phone. "I'll have to call you back, babe," he sighed. "It's a code red."

"Let me guess-" came Blaine's chuckle from the other end, "-Finn's in the kitchen."

"Bull's eye," the countertenor confirmed with a mirthless chuckle. "I have to do damage control and see if there's anything salvageable left. By the smell of it, not much. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Sure. Good luck. And say hi to Finn from me."

"The only things I'll be saying to Finn right now will be obscene or worse so you'd better tell it himself next time."

"Um, okay," Blaine said but Kurt could detect a hesitant lilt to his voice.

"Is there something else, oh boyfriend of mine? If so, it better be quick."

There was a deep sigh coming from the other end. "It's just…are you sure doing 'Ding!Dong!' at the NYADA mixer is the right choice? Because I really don't-"

"Well, of course you don't!" Kurt cut him off. "You've only seen the bare version, without brooms and pointy hats!"

"You're going to have brooms and pointy hats?" Blaine asked weakly.

"Of course!" the countertenor exclaimed enthusiastically. "We're going to blow their minds with our musical theater amazingness! In fact, I already feel sorry for them. Not in a complacent way, of course. Just in a we're-better-than-you-so-you-might-as-well-give-up-now way."

"Right," Blaine said slowly and Kurt could picture his frown.

"Do I sense skepticism?"

"You sense worry, babe," Blaine explained softly. "I love your confidence and your faith in yourself but I don't want to see you disappointed. Those kids there may turn out to be hopeless and deaf as poles but there's a chance they're talented and ambitious, too."

"Our triumph's going to be all the bigger, then," Kurt huffed in reply. "I have to believe it even if you don't."

"I do. You know I do," Blaine assured him strongly. "I'm just trying to look out for you. And if you need a proof of just how much I believe in you, I'll drive over there right now and-"

"You're sweet but it's late," Kurt interjected, deciding to give Blaine a taste of The Sulk. He knew he should have ended it at that but he just couldn't so he went on, "And I wouldn't want you to be out of it while belting out your Katy Perry at the Warbler practice tomorrow because you had to drive twenty miles to your boyfriend because he goes to a different school," he finished sweetly. When there was a wounded silence on the other end, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Blaine. It's just…I really meant what I said the other day at the Lima Bean."

"About being passive aggressive?" the Warbler said pointedly.

"Sorry. That too. But mostly about seeing you every day."

"Be careful what you wish for," Blaine sounded mysterious now and Kurt could almost see his Cheshire-cat smile. He blinked.

"Blaine Warbler, what does that-"

"Nothing, just brushing up on my PCD," the other boy chuckled. "I'll talk to you soon. Now go save the kitchen."

And with that he ended the call. Kurt would have stood there staring at his phone in bewilderment for a good while more, had it not been for the unbearable stench that his nostrils began to register again now that he wasn't so wrapped up in his conversation anymore. It was completely overwhelming and not a year ago, it would have him calling for the fire department. Or a hazmat team. Now all it did was assure him that his brother was home. And their parents obviously weren't so he would have to deal with this on his own.

He groaned.

"Are you trying to cook again, Finn?" he called out, shedding his coat and shoes and moving into the living room. "Why do you keep doing that? All you do is burn things that I have to- holy mother of Versace!"

"Hi, Kurt!" Finn hollered from…somewhere in the kitchen. Kurt couldn't really see where he was exactly.

"Don't you 'hi' me, Finn Hudson!" Kurt snapped, moving slowly into the kitchen, which looked like a Libyan war zone.

"My full name, this can't be good," the taller boy said emerging from behind…what _was_ that?

"Congratulations on your keen deductive skills, Sherlock!" the countertenor said putting his hands on his hips. "What have you done to the kitchen this time?"

"Well…" Finn scratched the back of his neck. He was covered from head to toe in flour (at least Kurt hoped it was flour) and standing in front of a huge pile of unidentified goo on the kitchen table, which was spewing out miserable puffs of smoke.

"What _is_ that?" Kurt asked shrilly.

"What?" Finn asked innocently.

The countertenor glared.

Finn swallowed. "What, that?"

"No, the other mountain of flour and God-knows-what spewing out stinking smoke in the middle of the kitchen!"

"Scary Kurt," Finn uttered, taking a step back. "This- it's a volcano," he explained. "I made it. It's a chemical experiment."

If Kurt had goggled any harder, his eyeballs would have fallen out.

"So this was supposed to be something specific, then?" he said levelly after a while, holding himself back from shrieking. "And here I thought you decided to stink up the house and destroy the kitchen just for kicks. But if it's for _a chemical experiment_-" he drawled.

"No need to be sarcastic, man."

"Actually, there is," the countertenor said pleasantly. "Because sarcasm is the only thing stopping me from turning homicidal."

Finn swallowed. "Um, I think I'd better leave, then."

"You're not going anywhere, mister," Kurt said dangerously, reaching under the sink. "Not until this kitchen's clean as a whistle."

"I never really got that phrase. I mean, what does a whistle got to do with-"

"So not the point," Kurt cut him off, launching a bottle of Mr. Clean at his head.

"Hey!" Finn yelped in surprise, just barely catching the projectile before it connected with his face.

"You'd better start scrubbing," Kurt said levelly, launching a pair of rubber gloves in his direction.

Finn ducked behind the volcano. "Will you stop with that, dude! I get it, it wasn't the best idea and you're mad at me!"

"_The best idea_? That's like saying wearing polka dots with stripes isn't _the best idea_!" Kurt snapped, punctuating the last word by tossing a squeegee at the other boy.

"I'm sorry, ok! I'll clean this up, I promise! Just stop throwing stuff at me!"

Kurt straightened up and re-adjusted his bangs. "That's better," he said sweetly with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'm so glad we had this exchange."

He turned on his foot. "I'll be back in half an hour to check up on you," he threw over his shoulder. "And you better pray Carole's not back before you finish. She won't be as forgiving as I am."

"Mom's taken a double shift today," Finn said. Then he did a double take, "Hey, aren't you going to help me?"

Kurt turned back. "I would but my hazmat suit's in the cleaning."

"Dude, come on," the taller boy tried beseechingly. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do with this," he said picking up the squeegee from the floor and examining it warily. "I mean, what _is _this?"

If Kurt had slapped his forehead any harder, he'd have given himself a concussion.

"Right. What was I thinking," he said with exasperation, "-leaving you alone with _dangerous_ scrubbers and cleaning liquids."

Finn grinned. Kurt wondered how well that squeegee would fit against his brother's face.

An hour later, the kitchen was more or less clean with the last thing on the menu being the floor. Until now, they had been working in complete silence, broken only by Kurt's curt instructions on what to do with this and that. At first the smaller boy liked it but now it was slowly becoming unbearable. So, as they got onto their knees and began scrubbing, Kurt decided to break the silence himself, knowing Finn never would seeing that he was terrified Kurt was still angry with him and would pour detergent into his eyes or something if he spoke. It wasn't true. Not for the last ten minutes, at least.

"A chemical experiment, Finn? Really? Care to tell me what got over you?" the countertenor indicated the kitchen with an airy wave of one rubber-gloved hand. "Did you have a reason or did you just come back from school today and thought 'How about I make a volcano in the middle of the kitchen'?"

"Kind of," Finn admitted. "I mean, I came back and there was this show on TV about chemists-"

"Oh, no. This was one of your 'who am I gonna be' experiments, wasn't it?" Kurt groaned. "I thought after you've rather painfully, might I add, established over the summer that you're not cut out to be a marine biologist or a truck driver or a professional skateboarder, you've given up on the live-experience approach."

"Well, how else am I gonna find out what I'm good at?"

If Kurt wasn't so wound up, he'd have detected a deeper note of insecurity and fear in Finn's voice that would make alarm bells go off in his head, but as it was, he remained oblivious.

"I'm happy you're trying but I wish this soul-searching wasn't so…destructive."

"It looked really cool!"

"I don't doubt it but they put those 'don't try this at home' disclaimers in these shows for a reason, you know."

"It was a show for kids! It was supposed to be harmless!"

"Finn, you _trip over flat surfaces_. _Harmless_ is dangerous for you," Kurt enunciated trying to keep his calm. "Whatever made you think it was a good idea to try a chemical experiment in the middle of our kitchen?"

"They said it wasn't dangerous!" Finn said defensively. "Then again, they said it wasn't smelly, too-" he added meekly.

"Certainly. If done correctly by somebody who isn't a giant. Uncoordinated. Idiot!" he punctuated each word by wringing his floor brush rather forcefully over the bucket.

"Hey! I'm not a-" Finn let his voice hang because truth be told, he totally did behave like all the things Kurt had said. "It…takes skill to trip over flat surfaces!" he said helplessly.

"So maybe that's what you should become?" Kurt barked. "A professional klutz! You could make a show of it. In the finale you could break your neck! Wouldn't that be fun!"

"Dude, that's like, abusing sarcasm," the taller boy said gruffly. "And you're mean."

Kurt sighed. "No, Finn. I'm tired. Tired of your irresponsibility and recklessness. You could have burned the house down! Hell, you could have seriously hurt yourself, did you even think about that?"

"I-" Finn stuttered, taken aback by Kurt's sudden fierceness. But then his lips drew into a thin line and he looked at his brother defiantly. "It's not like you would even notice anyway," he said scathingly. "All you notice these days is _Blaine_."

"What's Blaine got to do with you being a moron?" Kurt exclaimed, half-angry, half-bewildered.

Finn threw his hands in the air, sending droplets of water everywhere. "You know what, nothing," he said. If Kurt couldn't see it, then Finn wasn't going to tell him. It would sound like he was jealous or something. Which he totally wasn't. "And I'm sorry if you think that I'm a moron for trying to find out what I wanna be in the future."

"No, you're not a moron because of that," the smaller boy clarified in a calmer tone. "You're a moron because the way you're doing it, you're going to kill yourself in the process! Why can't you do it like normal people?"

"Which is how?"

"Read some pamphlets, see Miss Pillsbury? Something that, I don't know, _won't get you killed_?"

Finn looked down, nervously wringing his be-rubbered hands. There it was again. That feeling of being utterly lost and not in the cool _Lost _kind of way. It's been growing in him ever since New York, when he saw Rachel and Kurt so set on their goals, so sure about their future. And now school began and it seemed like _everyone_ knew what they wanted in life…except for him. How did he tell Kurt that he didn't even know where to start? That he felt so lost he didn't know who he was? How restless and insecure it made him?

It was simple – he didn't.

"I…need to do this my way, Kurt," he said evasively, avoiding his brother's eyes. "And I can't understand why I can't have some fun in the mean time," the moment he said that he knew it was a mistake.

"Yeah?" the countertenor's eyes were flashing. He couldn't believe how carefree the other boy was being about all this. "You need to _grow up_, Finn! You need to stop _having fun_! It's your life, goddammit!"

"Dude, don't get your panties in a twist about it!"

Kurt clenched his teeth so hard, he was afraid his jaw would snap in half.

"You're right," he said icily. "Why should I care about your future when you clearly don't?"

That struck a chord. "Oh yeah? Since when do you care about my future? I was a mess all summer over it and you didn't even _notice_, it was all Blaine Blaine Blaine!

The countertenor looked at him wide-eyed. Was it really like that? Did he get so wrapped up in his boyfriend that he didn't notice there was something wrong with his stepbrother with whom he _lived _under the same roof? He loved Finn to bits and he instantly felt bad about it but it still didn't make it ok for Finn to lash out at Blaine.

"Leave him out of this!"

"And what if I don't?"

"Then we're done!" He got up, dropping his brush into the bucket with a satisfying splash. "Finish this on your own! I'm tired of cleaning up your messes for you!" he growled and stomped off.

"Fine!" Finn shouted after him. "I don't need you anyway!"

**XxXxXxX**

Finn had come to call it The Silent Wars because it sounded really cool. Kurt just called it Finn-being-an-utter-jerk-again Time. Either way, they both didn't speak a single word to each other for the next couple of days. It was growing heavy on them both but neither wanted to give up first and apologize. But then the day of the NYADA mixer came and it all ceased to matter.

Kurt had come back with puffy red-rimmed eyes and he snuck up to his room soundlessly. And then Rachel called and Finn knew it was bad even before Kurt didn't come down for supper two hours later.

"This can't be good," Burt muttered over dessert. "If it had gone well, we wouldn't hear the end of it. I think I'm gonna-"

Finn surprised himself by standing up and declaring more bravely than he felt, "I…I think I've got this."

Burt and Carole looked at him skeptically.

"Are you sure, honey?" his mom asked with worry. "You two have been fighting lately."

"Not that that's anything new but it wasn't your usual bickering kind of way," the elder Hummel added, concern in his eyes.

"I know. But I think he'll talk to me. I have my ways," he assured them. "But you should still have a phone ready to call for an ambulance just in case," he added wryly though neither of the parents smiled.

A quarter of an hour later, he was traipsing up the stairs with two glasses. He knocked on Kurt's door and when there was no reply, he pushed his way in. The room was dark except for the bedside lamp. When his eye sight adjusted to the dimness, he noticed Kurt curled into a ball in the middle of his bed, with his back to him.

"Dude?" he asked sheepishly.

There was a miserable sniffle coming from the general direction of the bed and then came a muffled reply, "I'm not a 'dude', Finnegan."

"Ah, sorry," Finn said gently, feeling a bit less tense. At least Kurt wasn't screaming at him to get out. That was good. "Are you ok?" he ventured, stepping farther inside. "Cuz the parents are kinda freaking out."

"Oh, so you're talking to me know?" Kurt mumbled bitterly around his pillow.

"Hey, it's not like I didn't have a reason! You called me a moron. And an idiot," Finn replied wryly, sitting gingerly (well, as gingerly as he could) on the edge of Kurt's bed.

The smaller boy turned around to look at him. His eyes were big and glassy and very blue. Finn's heart constricted painfully at how miserable he looked. He held out a mug of warm milk with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg, just the way Kurt liked it.

"Thanks," the countertenor said sitting up and accepting the drink as well as the unspoken peace truce that came with it.

"No problem, man," Finn grinned at him and settled next to him with his back against the headboard.

"I'm sorry for calling you names," Kurt continued. "I really shouldn't have but no one can wind me up quite like you can. I think you're the most irritating person in the world. Seriously, there are itchy skin diseases less irritating than you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the quarterback chuckled. "You only get wound up so much because you care. Don't think I don't know that, and it means a lot."

Kurt looked at him in surprise.

"I can see things, too, you know," Finn said gruffly.

"I know you can."

They remained in silence, sipping the warm milk slowly until Finn mustered up the courage to speak up.

"I spoke with Rach."

Kurt's eyes became wide and very blue again but when he spoke, his tone was steady. "So you already know they just about wiped the floor with us. They looked like clones of Rachel and me and they were _so _good. We had a sob fest in the car in the parking lot and then another on the way back. And I was having a third one for good measure before you came in."

"Dude, that's not what Rachel told me," Finn frowned. "She was all hyper about extra-curriculars you're both taking and how you're going to show them and how obstacles make you stronger and stuff…and she said that _you _were the one who told her not to give up and made her swear she wouldn't. So why are you crying?"

"Rachel seemed like she needed the reassurance much more than I did. So I reassured her."

"Even though you felt like crap yourself?"

Finn's directness never failed to make Kurt do a double take.

"That's what friends do," he said with a shrug but didn't look Finn in the eye. "Besides, I had to stop her from crying somehow if I was ever going to get home. She _was_ our driver," he added aiming for wry but knew the other boy saw right through it.

The quarterback frowned. "Kurt, it's me. You don't have to put up a front with me," he said gently. "Why are you crying if you've got all of it figured out with Rach?"

Why did Finn had to be so damn mature and perceptive the one time Kurt really wanted him to be clueless and goofy?

But then he looked at Kurt with such concern and affection that the smaller boy felt maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to do just what he'd told him to.

He sighed, gathering his scrambled thoughts. "I guess it's like when you cut your finger – first your body goes into shock and you feel nothing and then it hits you," Kurt said and Finn nodded. "Well, I cut my ego tonight and it just hit me that I might not make it, Finn. That my dreams might _not _come true. That I'm not unique but just one out of thousands of guys exactly like me who want the same things like me."

"Dude, for such a smart guy you can be really stupid sometimes!" Finn burst because he couldn't believe what he was hearing. If Kurt – the wonderful, talented, exceptional Kurt – thought so low of himself, then what were the chances for the rest of them?

Kurt stared at him in shock.

"I mean," Finn continued in a softer tone, "-if you don't make it, then…I don't know who can. You're bright, strong, like, super-talented and you're just…fierce, man."

Kurt chuckled tearily. "Funny thing. That's exactly what I told Rachel."

"Well, you need someone to tell it to you, too. Cuz you totally are."

"That's what she said. But I really don't feel like it right now."

"Kurt, man, your fierceness would kick Lennox Lewis' ass, win a marathon and not even lose breath, that's how fierce you are," Finn said with an intensity that surprised them both. "You _will_ make it. There's nothing I believe in more than in you, man. You're like, _unique_. That's the word, right?"

The smaller boy nodded.

Finn smiled proudly. He so could use big words if he put his mind to it. "And-" he continued, "-if you ever lose sight of that, I'll be there with a shovel to beat it back into your head."

"Now wouldn't you enjoy that?" Kurt asked wryly, the first signs of a smile visible on his face and Finn grinned at him. That was more like the brother he knew and loved.

"Some pep talk, Finn. I'm impressed," the countertenor continued. "Thank you."

"You think I'm impressive?"

Kurt sighed. "Sometimes. Maybe. I sense I'm going to regret saying this but you really have your moments and they...make up for all the rest in my head," he finished and blew his nose. When he raised his head, he noticed Finn grinning at him like mad. "Almost," he added curtly, not to make Finn think he was approving of his shenanigans. "You're still not off the hook for the volcano incident."

"Come on, it was cool."

"I really fail to see how a pile of goo smelling of rotten eggs is cool," Kurt said looking at him with disbelief.

Finn shrugged. "We have different definitions of cool."

"Obviously. Yours is warped and insane."

"Come on, you love my insanity and…_warpedness_?"

"Well, I certainly love your language skills," the countertenor retorted wryly.

Finn chuckled and gathered Kurt closer to him. The smaller boy inhaled the oh-so-familiar scent and smiled against his stepbrother's shirt. There was no place on Earth he felt safer than in Finn's arms. He really did feel like he could do anything then.

"I'm going to make it," he said after a while, liking the way the words rolled off his tongue. "I am," he repeated, raising his eyes to meet the other boy's. "But I think I could use you standing behind me with that shovel, Finn. You're my wall."

"I'm not going anywhere," the taller boy said with a smile and brushed a soft kiss against his hair.

"And what about New York?" Kurt ventured to ask, nestling back against his stepbrother's warm side.

Finn shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, that. Yeah, sure. I'm going."

Kurt threw him a concerned frown, leveling him with that intense, caring stare that always made him talk. Damn.

"You still didn't tell me why you got so defensive when we started talking about your future."

"Probably cuz there's nothing to talk about."

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you think I keep doing this crazy stuff, like the volcano thing? It's because I don't have a _clue _who I am or who I want to be," he said with a bitter smile. "And it really sucks."

Kurt blinked. How could he not notice this before?

"It's like I can't remember who I am anymore," Finn added, staring despondently ahead.

"Ok, look who's having a pity party now," the smaller boy nudged him in the side.

"Dude, this is serious."

"I know, Finn." Kurt nodded. "And I'm happy that you're finally talking to me about this. I'm sorry for getting so wrapped up in Blaine over the summer that you thought I wasn't there for you. I'm _always_ here for you, ok? Blaine or no Blaine. We're family and that means something. It means _a lot_."

Finn nodded. "Cool."

"We're going to deal with this, ok?"

"How?"

"For starters, let me remind you who you are if you've forgotten. You'll _always_ have me to remind you. So, let's see," he settled more comfortably on the bed and gave him a playful smile, "-you're the most kind and understanding soul I know. You're a great brother. You've handled this situation…handled _me _so well. You're observant, patient, goofy but loyal. And above all, you're a _good_ person."

Finn just stared. He had no idea Kurt thought so highly of him but it made him feel good, really good.

Kurt smiled at him. "That's the Finn Hudson I know and love," he added softly, a part of him still fearing what Finn's reaction to his confession may be.

His reaction was to squeeze him a bit tighter. Kurt smiled.

"Of course," he added snottily, "-he's also a totally irresponsible goofball and the most infuriating person in the world-"

"You couldn't let me feel _too_ good about myself, could you?" Finn asked looking down at him with reproach.

Kurt grinned. "That's what brothers are for."

**XxXxXxX**

"Hey, Kurt? Can I come in? I want to show you something."

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"And don't you roll your eyes at me!" came from the other end and Kurt actually turned around to see if the door was still closed. "It's kinda important!"

"If this is about that picture of a radish that looks like a butt again, Finn-"

"No, it's not! I promise! So?"

The countertenor sighed. Then the door began to open.

"I didn't say you could come in!" Kurt screeched and lunged at the door just as Finn's arm went through it.

Unable to lose his momentum, he slammed into the door and heard an indignant yelp from the other side as his stepbrother retracted his arm. Kurt moved away from the door and opened it only to be met with a glowering Finn, rubbing his certainly bruised limb.

"Dude," he said reproachfully, stepping inside the countertenor's room, "you really weren't afraid to put your back into it, were you?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"What were you _doing_?" he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

Kurt sighed. "Just…trying some poses and faces for my presidential campaign posters."

"You want to do them in _that_ outfit?" Finn asked with a skeptically quirked eyebrow as he took in Kurt's pajamas.

"Yes, Finn, I want to win the senior population of McKinley over with my teddy bear PJs," Kurt deadpanned rolling his eyes.

Finn rubbed his chin. "That could actually work, you know."

Kurt's lips curled upwards. "Speaking of outfits-" he said crossing his arms, "-what in McQueen's name are _you_ wearing?"

Finn shrugged and placed the boom box he was holding on the dresser. "I thought I'd try my hand at being a hip hop dancer. And you can't be a dancer without the right outfit."

"You? A hip hop dancer? _Where_ do you get these ideas from, Finn?" Kurt snorted. "I'm sorry, this outfit may be right but for some color-blind Eminem wannabe," he said, barely holding back giggles. "You look worse than when you did that funk number with Puck and Cedes back in sophomore year. I mean, seriously, a doo rag?"

"Do you know how long it took me to tie it?"

"I can only imagine," Kurt deadpanned.

"Say what you want but I'm not getting discouraged in my search for a future. Obstacles only make it more worth it," the taller boy stated wryly and narrowed his eyes at Kurt. "In this case, the obstacle being my mean, sarcastic stepbrother."

The countertenor raised an eyebrow at him. "I think that doo rag must be cutting off oxygen to your brain."

Finn pouted. "I thought you were supposed to help me with this stuff."

Kurt sighed. "I would if I knew what you were planning to do. Because right now you're not doing anything apart from making my fashion sense scream bloody murder."

"Oh, right. I totally forgot," Finn said and pushed play on the boom box. "I thought this would fit, what with the lyrics and all-"

"_When I grow up I wanna be famous."_

Kurt gasped. "You want to dance hip hop to Pussy Cat Dolls?"

Finn didn't answer, driving the countertenor into a state of pure mortification as he shimmied past him in a way that suggested he was suffering from an epileptic attack.

"_I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies."_

Finn caught him by the hands and tugged him forward.

"Come on. Show me some moves, dude," Finn urged him, still dancing – well, _moving_ – to the beat.

"Um-"

"_When I grow up, be on TV"_

Finn grabbed Kurt's hand and twirled the smaller boy in a circle. His enthusiasm was so contagious that he couldn't resist any longer and he started moving his hips to the music as well.

The other boy swayed to the music in his clumsy, Finn way. They danced through the song and at the end, Finn tried to end the number with a bang. And he did. Literally. He got entangled in his own legs and fell face down on the floor, taking Kurt down with him.

They looked at each other in shock, making sure they were both fine, and then they started laughing.

Kurt was the first to get his breath back. "Well. This was fun," he said wryly, wiping tears from his eyes. "I hate to break it to you but I'm afraid you won't make much of a hip hop dancer."

"This was my last try," Finn said. "Cuz this is totally stupid."

"Finn-"

"From now on, I'm gonna grow up," the quarterback stated. "I'm gonna do what you told me and do the counseling thing with Miss Pillsbury and read my pamphlets and stuff."

"Um...good for you."

"It is. And I'm really sorry about the kitchen."

"It's fine."

Then they just lay there in companionable silence staring at the ceiling, their sides touching lightly. It ended in the most ridiculous kind of ways, but it seemed like they really did learn a valuable life lesson this week.

"Finn?" Kurt broke the silence, turning his head to look at the other boy.

"Yeah?" the quarterback turned to meet his eyes.

"Just don't grow up too much, ok?"

Finn grinned. "Hey, it's me we're talking about."

* * *

So, I really hope you liked this, guys! It's been a while and I hope my Furt hasn't gotten too rusty! I'd love to know what you think – your reviews help me write better:) And they're just plain fun to read!

PS. The volcano experiment is a real one, you can google it but you probably shouldn't do it at home by yourselves even if you're not Finn's kind of crazy;)


	46. 3x02: A Week to Remember

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Check.

**A/N: **The episode…wow. Just wow. It was Kurt heaven. I loved all these little threads they're just beginning to reel out for him and Chris shone in all of them. Even though it was hard to watch Kurt get shot down and laughed at like that…

Also, I loved the sais though couldn't they have found a more inventive, plot-appropriate way to incorporate Chris' sai skills? I guess it was a way for Chris to get his moment with the swords like Darren Criss got with his sunglasses…and all in all, it was really cool and we've definitely seen Kurt's skills with batons, brooms, and drum sticks so I guess in the end, it works:)

Finally – Finn helping out at the Tyre shop! We finally have it – he does know about cars and is quite an adorable grease monkey;) The writers are SO scouring fan fiction sites!

Ok, I seriously write too much, I need a blog…;) Anyhoo, sorry this was a bit long in the making but I had so many ideas, it was hard to choose from! I hope you'll enjoy what I've come up with!

* * *

**A Week To Remember**

CRASH.

Finn almost jumped in his bed where he was napping, trying not to dwell on how hopelessly he was doing in booty camp and half-hoping that if he ignored it, the piles of homework on his desk would go away. Or get stolen. Or get eaten by the neighbor's cat. Anything. He wasn't picky.

The noise he couldn't ignore, though. It sounded like someone broke something but the only people at home were he and Kurt and Kurt didn't break things. It just didn't happen. It was Finn's area of…expertise. So either it was a burglar or the old lady from next door finally lost it completely and mistakenly got into their house. That was a really frightening perspective but he had to investigate (anything that put off homework was fine by him even if it involved scary old crones). With that in mind, he got up and went out of his room. Sneaking along the corridor, he noticed Kurt's door was ajar and decided to make sure he was ok. The old lady could be holding him hostage or something.

He looked inside. And gaped. He would have been far less surprised if the old lady had been indeed holding Kurt in a chokehold. Hell, he'd have been less surprised if an alien jumped out of his stepbrother's chest.

What he saw was Kurt standing in the middle of the room, remains of his bedside lamp neatly on a dustpan, and he was-

"Whoah!" Finn exclaimed, not being able to hold back any longer and stepping inside.

Kurt jumped up and one of the swords he was wielding fell to the floor.

"Finn Hudson, these are sharp!" he scolded, whirring around to face Finn. "You don't sneak up on people holding sharp objects!" he exclaimed, picking up the sai from the floor. "Unless you want to end up half the man you used to be."

The quarterback didn't really heed his words, his eyes fixed on the swords.

"That is so cool, man!" he exclaimed in awe. "I _knew _you were a ninja!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Finn. I honestly don't get your fixation with me being a ninja. What is it about me exactly that screams 'a covert quick-strike deadly assassin'?"

"Dude, you're totally sneaky when you want to. And deadly. I _know_," he enunciated, remembering with a shiver when he'd put Kurt's white pants with his red socks or broke one of the bottles with his hair stuff or- he _really_ knew. "And you've got swords exactly like the ones Rafaello on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has!"

"I'm not even going to pretend I know what you're talking about," the countertenor said, his eyebrow quirked. "These-" He motioned at the sais. "-have nothing to do with turtles or assassinations. They are a means of deepening my artistic expression and my secret weapon against any competition on my path to becoming the first gay Tony in Lima," he finished aloofly, swishing one of the sais to emphasize his point.

Finn blinked. "So…you're going to throw the swords at your competition?" he asked tentatively.

Kurt sighed, raising his eyes to the ceiling but when he spoke, his tone was underpinned with amusement. "Or Artie if he doesn't choose me."

The taller teen swallowed. "Dude, remind me never to try against you. In anything."

Kurt chuckled and gave the sais a couple of counter-clockwise twirls for good measure. He knew he was showing off now but he had to admit, it was kind of gratifying to see the near-worship in his brother's eyes.

"Dude, where did you _get_ these things?" Finn asked, his eyes still glued to the swords whirring in Kurt's hands. "And where did you learn _that_?"

"I got them on eBay," the countertenor replied with a shrug. "And I practiced with batons back when I was a Cheerio. These are not much different."

Finn goggled. "Yeah, apart from the fact that they're sharp and deadly and-"

"Batons can be deadly, too," Kurt cut in ominously, though his mischievous smile contradicted his tone.

Finn swallowed. He so believed that. In Kurt's hands even a can opener could be deadly, if he wanted. Again – _he knew_.

"I think I've had enough for today," the shorter boy stopped his exercise and placed the sais in their sheaths. "And so has my bed lamp," he said with a sigh, looking at the miserable shards of the said lamp.

Finn's eyes didn't leave the blades. "You should totally bring them to school, you know. No one would dare even look at you the wrong way then."

Kurt chuckled. "As tempting as that is, I prefer more…peaceful means of persuasion. Besides, they're not exactly _handy_. And working any outfit around them would be a nightmare."

"So you _have_ thought about it."

"Just because I prefer peaceful doesn't mean I don't appreciate the clout more…forceful solutions sometimes bring."

"Beating up people does help sometimes," the taller boy agreed.

Kurt's eyebrows quirked up. "Ah, the famous Finn Hudson wisdom."

"It's true," Finn protested.

"Not if you're on the receiving end," the countertenor said, his tone turning harsh. "And I've been there far too many times to put anyone in the same position."

Finn did a double take. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't think. You know I'm a tactless troll sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Kurt asked scathingly but his tone bore a sliver of mirth that assured Finn he knew he didn't mean it.

"All right, all the time," the taller boy retreated. He had a favor to ask of Kurt and he figured it would be better if his stepbrother wasn't angry at him when he asked. "Um, about trolls…could you help me with the booty camp dance? The next rehearsal's tomorrow and I'm afraid Mike will hang me upside down the beams in the auditorium if I don't get it right this time."

"Now that would be entertaining," Kurt said with a smirk.

Finn scowled.

Kurt chuckled at his half-scandalized , half-frightened expression. "Relax. I'm not that cruel. I'll help you, brother of mine."

An hour later Finn was no closer to getting the steps but Kurt was close to hanging him upside down from the ledge himself.

As Finn had just mangled the steps for the twentieth time and landed on his rear rather spectacularly, Kurt sighed and reached out his hand to help him up. "Come on, we've got to get these twirls right."

"I did it a thousand times, I've had enough!" the quarterback protested gruffly. "I did twirls. I did the step touch thing. I even did the jazz triangle-"

"Jazz square."

"Whatever. I mean, what's next? Maneuvers?"

Kurt chuckled. "This is nothing. Remember tomorrow you're facing Mike."

Finn swallowed and got up to his feet surprisingly fast. "Um, the whole routine again?"

It wasn't a good idea, Kurt thought as he watched him tumble to the ground yet again a moment later.

"It's step-twirl-_step_, Finn," he instructed. "You have to put your foot out, otherwise you'll end up on your butt every time."

"Show me?" Finn asked meekly.

Kurt got up with a sigh and did the whole sequence.

"-and you end with another twirl," he said doing a perfect turn and stopping with his hands on his hips, his eyes on his brother. "Like this."

Finn glanced at him, more than a little awed. "Dude, you're really good. Why do you even have to be in the camp?"

"Well, Mr. Schue and Mike are right," Kurt replied, re-adjusting his bangs in an all-too-familiar gesture Finn realized he'd kind of been missing ever since the other boy started gelling his hair up. "I catch choreography quickly enough but my free styling-"

"Hey, Mike was totally mean!" the taller teen exclaimed. "That shaky little thing you do, it's not that bad. At least you don't trip over your own feet."

"Yes, thank you for the vote of confidence," Kurt said with an eye roll, "-but that only proves Mike's point." he sighed. "Bottom line, the camp's good for me. _Any_ additional training is good because my 'shaky little thing' isn't enough if I want to get into NYADA."

"And win Nationals," Finn added.

"And win Nationals," Kurt agreed with a smile.

"Ok. So. Show me again?"

The countertenor groaned, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "You're going to be the death of me, Finn Hudson."

"I'll give you a great funeral speech, I promise," the other boy deadpanned with a grin.

"How comforting you can be."

"I try."

"Why don't you _try_ to dance?"

"Ok, ok," Finn held up his hands in surrender. "Slave driver," he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

**XxXxXxX**

CRASH.

Finn had no idea what it was with him and crashing noises this week. Usually it was he who caused them but this week he didn't do _anything_. Yet.

This time it came from the girls' bathroom and he was pretty sure he saw Kurt run in there a moment ago. He was really strangely dressed, and that was saying something when you considered this was a boy who wore corsets and skirts to school on a daily basis, but what really drew Finn's attention was his brother's expression, broken and teary.

Hot-red rage boiled in him. If Karofsky or anyone else as much as looked at Kurt the wrong way…at that point he didn't care he was going into the Most Feared And Forbidden Territory of the Girl's Bathroom, and stomped inside without a moment's hesitation. He had to know what was wrong with Kurt.

His stepbrother was standing over one of the sinks, his head dropped and his shoulders hunched as he massaged his fist. One of the paper towel dispensers was dented so he guessed that was where the crash came from. Huh.

"Dude?" Finn asked softly, putting a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

The smaller boy whirred around. Now that Finn could see him fully, his heart constricted painfully. Kurt looked positively miserable, with tear tracks down his cheeks and a dead, disappointed look in his eyes. When they rested on Finn, though, they hardened.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I just…was coming back from my training and saw you all-" he trailed off under the weight of the other teen's stare.

"Please go away, Finn," Kurt said with a sniff and turned his back to him.

"Not going to work, dude," Finn replied, his tone steely this time.

The smaller boy turned back around, his lips a thin line. "And if I tell you everything's ok and I've just got something in my eye, will you go away?" he asked, his tone biting. "You'll get your good brother credit and won't have to worry your little charming head about it and I'll finally have my moment alone without you bugging me."

Finn felt like Kurt had punched him in the stomach. "Dude, do you think that's why I'm here? _Credit_?" he asked, his voice almost a growl. "After all that we've been through, do you really think so little of me?"

Kurt's eyes widened and he looked almost scared now, which was the last thing Finn wanted so he forced himself to calm down, no matter how hurt he felt. This wasn't about him. It was about Kurt, who was obviously hurting much more.

"It's just-" he began more softly, shoving his hands into his pockets, "-when will you finally get it into your head that I genuinely care about you?"

Kurt let out a shaky sigh, wiping the tears from his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I know you care. It's just that I'm having a… very bad, terrible, _awful_ day and I'm taking it out on you. Again. God, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Finn replied with a small smile. "That's what brothers are for, right? Willing personal punching bags."

"I don't want you to be my punching bag, Finn," Kurt said with a start. "I don't want you to be _anyone's_ punching bag."

"You're not anyone. You're my little brother," the taller teen said strongly. "And I'm here anytime you need it."

Kurt's lower lip trembled slightly and Finn was afraid he was going to start crying again so he covered the distance between them and gathered him in a hug. The shorter boy relaxed into the embrace and returned it, hiding his face in Finn's shoulder. It was his proven method of dealing with a crying Kurt.

Kurt may be strong and tough and kinda kick-ass but because of this, people often forgot how vulnerable he really was. Finn would never forget.

"So, will you tell me what's this about and whose ass I need to kick?" he asked gently after a while.

"I guess my own," Kurt replied, his voice muffled by Finn's shirt.

"Does this have to do with your…outfit?" the quarterback figured it was the most neutral word he could come up with for Kurt's big hat and tights.

"Partly," the countertenor said, pulling away. There were still tear tracks on his cheeks and a redness to his eyes but he was back to his composed self. "I wanted to prove I can play a straight male lead by playing Romeo-"

"That's that one by that English dude Shakespeare, right?" the taller boy interjected. "And Romeo's Juliet's boyfriend?"

"Your English teacher must be proud," Kurt said with an eye roll. "Yes, that's the one."

"Good." Finn nodded. "So, what went wrong? You're a really good actor, man, so I can't figure what-"

"Apparently not good enough to pass as even remotely manly," Kurt said bitterly, "-because I got laughed at. Apparently I'm so capital G Gay that I shouldn't even bother. Unless it's for comedy effect."

"Kurt, I...I'm really sorry. But…why would you do that, man?" Finn spoke haltingly, carefully choosing his words. "Why do you want to pretend to be somebody you're not? Isn't that what you've been fighting against all this time?"

"Because I want to be an actor, Finn!" Kurt said angrily. "And that's what actors do! They pretend to be somebody they're not! And if I can't even convince a high school Lima teacher I can play a straight guy, what chance do I stand on Broadway? What sense does applying to drama school have?" he asked bitterly, letting everything that was lying heavy on his heart flow out. "Maybe I was wrong all this time, fighting so hard to be who I am," he finished forlornly.

Finn blinked. "Dude, is that hat, like, cutting off blood to your brain?"

Kurt shot him a sideways look. "No, Finn. It's just that today I realized that being _who I am _may actually make it harder for my dream to come true. I simply don't fit into the society's views of a traditional man and never will. I'm not _the suitable type of gay_, and it rules me out of just about any role that exists for a male actor. And what does that leave me?"

Finn bit his lip. He couldn't stand seeing Kurt this defeated. He was far out of his depth here but there was one thing he knew – he wasn't letting Kurt give up his dreams and ambitions. No way.

"You'll just have to work a bit harder, man, but you should never give up!" he burst.

"I'm afraid your pep talks won't work this time, Finn," Kurt said bitterly.

"So you're, what, just going to sit back and accept you're not good enough by views of some _society_?" Finn threw his hands in the air, getting seriously worked up now. "Dude, that's not you. I've seen you threaten to drop kick a woman with a cane during a clothes sale. And she wasn't even anywhere near the item you were holding!" he said wryly and he was happy to see a ghost of a smile tug at Kurt's lips. Reassured, he continued, "You're _fierce_, man. Don't forget that."

The sincerity and conviction in his brother's voice made Kurt blink with surprise. Who was this mature, sensible boy?

Finn was on a roll. "You challenge people and stuff that gets in your way daily, why would you stop now because someone laughed at you? You've endured far worse, man, and came out stronger."

"Finn, you're sweet but it's more complicated," Kurt said with a mirthless smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe I'm just not made for my dreams."

"No, Kurt," Finn objected. "You totally are. And even if you aren't, you _make_ yourself be. Dreams are supposed to push our limits! There are like, acting classes and better teachers and you can get better material where you can really show off your talent. You can't give up."

An unidentifiable look flickered in Kurt's eyes before he asked, "Why, Finn?"

"Because going after their dreams and making them happen is what makes people happy," Finn stated. "And I don't ever want to see you anything but happy, Kurt."

The other boy's eyes were still moist but he could smile for real, and it was that genuine, heartfelt smile that you just had to return.

"Thank you," he uttered sincerely, the two simple syllables speaking volumes more to Finn. "I guess I needed that pep talk after all." He came up to him and put his arms around him, the taller boy reciprocating the hug on instinct.

"I can honestly say that I couldn't have wished for a better brother," he said after a while, his eyes becoming slightly glassy again. "You're so sweet I can't even gripe at you for the maple-syrup-degree sap in what you've just said," he added in a mock accusatory tone, moving away.

"Come on, you like my sappiness," Finn argued with a lop-sided grin. "And you know I mean what I say, no matter how cheesy it is."

"What I don't know is if that's better or worse," Kurt replied wryly.

Finn chuckled, his eyes straying towards the clock on the wall. "Um, dude, this is great but the period's almost over and this place will be soon swarming with girls…they know you but if they see me here, angry zombies will look like puppies compared to them."

"Fair point."

"So, how about I take you home?"

"Sounds good." Kurt nodded. "I don't have any more classes...and I feel strangely like baking white chocolate chip cookies," he added with a knowing wink.

Finn's eyes lit up. "You're the awesomest!"

"Far from it but I try, thank you," Kurt replied, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "If there even was such a word," he added pointedly and headed for the door.

"Dude," Finn's voice stopped him half-way through the door.

"Yes, Finn?" he asked, turning around.

"You know you're still wearing um, tights and a huge hat with a feather?"

The shorter teen rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. I've gone out in much crazier outfits than that."

Finn chuckled and followed him out. Kurt did have a point there. He caught up to him, putting a protective arm around his shoulders. They walked in companionable silence for a while before Kurt looked at him sideways.

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I have toothpick arms?"

Finn blinked because it was so unlike Kurt to ask him anything concerning his appearance. He simply didn't need any kind of reassurance on that front. He was, after all, Kurt. Fabulous and proud. It only showed how deep that second audition got under his skin. Finn ground his teeth. If Coach Beiste and Miss Pillsbury weren't women and teachers and if Artie weren't in a wheelchair... As it was, all he could do was try to make Kurt feel better.

"Yeah," he replied with a smirk. "But they're pretty awesome toothpicks."

Kurt elbowed him in the side. "I hate you sometimes."

"Yeah, I hate you, too."

**XxXxXxX**

CRASH.

This time Finn heard the sound all too well, seeing he was the one causing it this time as he painfully skidded to the auditorium floor.

He was angry, tired and felt totally hopeless but Mr. Schue managed to talk him into trying once again. Placing himself in position next to the teacher, he chanced a glance over his shoulder where he knew Kurt was standing. Meeting his gaze, Kurt gave him a reassuring nod and that was all Finn needed.

He did it.

Catching up with Kurt after the rehearsal, he was ecstatic. "Dude, I totally did it! Thanks to you!"

The other boy looked at him with a small smile. "I'm proud of you, Finn, but it's yourself you should be thanking."

"Nah, man. I wouldn't have done it without your help."

"Finn, it was all you out there. All it took was bit of self-belief."

"That's thanks to you, too, you know," the quarterback admitted. "Your confidence and belief in yourself are like, incredible, man. I need to learn that from you."

Kurt sighed. "The funny thing is I could use a bit _less_ of it myself and more of your humility," Kurt said and Finn knew what he was thinking about. "Because one of these days my ego will pump my head up like a balloon and I'll soar off into the sky like Aunt Marge."

Finn blinked. "Did you just make a Harry Potter reference?"

"I blame it on Blaine," Kurt said with a pout. "But while Harry Potter I can live with, I seriously don't get his fascination with Red Vines."

"Dude, they're delicious!"

"They're rigid and bite like plastic."

"Exactly! That's the best thing about them!" the taller teen said with enthusiasm, only to be met with his brother's incredulous gaze. Then he did a double take. "Hey, since when do you eat candy?"

"I was ten once, too, Finn," Kurt replied, crossing his hands on his chest. "But unlike _some_," he continued in a snarky manner, "I've grown out of it."

"Your loss, you know."

"Well, someone has to be the mature sibling," he retorted but then his expression grew softer. "And this week it was you, Finn."

"All the time I was thinking what you would do," the taller boy said softly. Then he gave Kurt a thoughtful glance. "We do fit together well, don't we? Like two parts of the same coin."

"Two _sides_, Finn."

"Yeah, that. I mean, it's like, you make me lighter and I make you heavier. It's pretty cool."

"Again with the sap," Kurt sighed but then leaned in and planted a kiss on Finn's temple. "I couldn't have put it better myself."

* * *

And that's it! Sorry, I couldn't resist a Harry Potter and AVPM reference at the end;) I really hope you liked it and woot for today's new epi!

It would mean a lot to me to know what you think, guys, so drop me a line:) Even if only to say 'I liked it' or 'It didn't suck that bad'.


	47. 3x03: Switzerland

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer:** Finn, Kurt and Glee aren't mine cuz if they were…

**A/N:** Hey guys! Well, not much Furt to speak of in Asian F but still quite a lot for me to work on with the adorable snippets we did get (Finn and Kurt ganging up on Cedes – that I'd like to see;).

On the upside, the epi sure made me truly like and sympathize with Mike (raise your hand if you awwwed when he danced with his mom;). So, all in all, a win:)

**A/N2:** This is later than usual but due to the vileness of my computer this chapter got deleted and I had to start it from scratch (I never realized I know so many curse words).

Also, I'm sorry for not getting back to you personally this time but know that your reviews and messages of encouragement mean so VERY much to me. I'm so thankful to have you as readers! 3

Enjoy and I'll meet you at the bottom:)

* * *

**Switzerland**

"I don't know."

When Finn's words sank in, all Kurt could do was blink. The room became impregnated with a silence so thick it seemed to cover both boys like a blanket. Neither moved or spoke until it stretched and sat between them like a rock and Finn started fidgeting uncomfortably. He knew Kurt held his ninja swords right under the bed, one move away from where he was sitting now.

"Dude?"

"I see," Kurt snapped out of it, trying to keep the disappointment from his voice and his expression neutral but he knew he was failing by the look the other boy gave him.

"Dude, it's not that I don't trust you or something! Before Rach came into the race, I was totally gonna vote for you! But now I just…don't know. I mean, it's Rachel, Kurt," he said apologetically. "She's my girlfriend."

"And I'm your brother," the smaller boy countered. "But it doesn't matter, does it? Because when it comes down to serious matters, you'll always pick her," he said bitterly.

"Kurt, dude-"

"Finn Hudson, one more 'dude' from you and I swear I'll make use of my nail file."

The quarterback swallowed. Well, at least Kurt wasn't threatening him with the swords. "Please don't be like this, man! Don't make this into one of those 'it's me or her' things," Finn pleaded, the look of betrayal in his brother's eyes almost unbearable. Why couldn't he have just lied and told Kurt what he wanted to hear? It would have been so much easier. But he respected and trusted the other boy too much for that.

"That's precisely what voting is about, Finn. Me or her," the countertenor replied sternly.

"But it's not fair! I care about you both, how am I supposed to choose?" Finn asked reproachfully. "Do you know how hard this is for me?"

"For _you_?" Kurt's gaze turned arctic. "What am _I_ supposed to say? I just learned that my friend is going against me and will probably take away my already slim chances of getting extra credits, which means I won't get into NYADA and will end up leading a miserable life of community theatre and mediocrity! And to top it all, my brother stabs me in the back!" he finished angrily.

Finn blinked. "I'm not stabbing anyone! I told you I _don__'__t__ know_ and I'll tell Rachel the same thing."

The countertenor raised an eyebrow at him. "I very much doubt that," he said forlornly. "You never could say no to her."

"It's the same with you, you know," Finn admitted, a grin creeping onto his face.

Kurt blinked in surprise because this was new. Deep in his own thoughts, Finn didn't seem to notice his bewilderment. He clenched his teeth, anger at both Rach and his stepbrother for putting him in this situation in the first place surging through him. Why did they both have to be so damn competitive and stubborn all the time? And why did he have to be in the middle of it once again? It was insufferable. Deep inside, though, Finn knew that the very things he currently detested, were also the same things that drew him to both of them. He ran a hand through his already tousled hair and sighed. Boy, was he in way over his head.

"Dude, I'm sorry this sucks for you so much," he said. "And you know I'd do anything to help you…but don't make me choose between two people I care most about. It's unfair and really not cool."

Kurt seemed to pick up on Finn's change of mood and lowered his gaze.

"I…I'm sorry. I guess this may be slightly unfair to you."

"It sure as hell is!" the taller boy exclaimed. "I mean, this is between you and Rachel, man. Don't drag me into this."

"Fair enough," Kurt sighed. First Brit, then Rachel and finally the musical. It was barely the first month of his senior year and he was already having enough of it. And he thought nothing would ever beat his junior year. Suddenly tired, he felt all anger leave his body and he sagged. "From now on, I won't try to convince you anymore. You'll be Switzerland."

"Dude, I don't want to be some smelly cheese!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "The state of your laundry says differently," he quipped and the other teen made a face at him. "Switzerland's a country in Europe, Finn," he explained patiently. "They do make excellent cheese there, though, so you aren't completely off," he admitted good-naturedly.

"But what's it got to do with me?"

"It means you'll be neutral. Impartial. Out of it."

"Cool." Finn's expression brightened. It felt slightly uncharacteristic to him that Kurt would give up so quickly but he was so relieved he had just avoided being pulled into another clash of the titans, he wasn't going to question it. "And my laundry's fine!" he added reproachfully.

"If by fine you mean 'hasn't sprouted legs yet'," Kurt retorted.

"Smartass," Finn muttered.

"Smartass? Oh, how you wound me with your witty repartee, Finn Hudson!" Kurt cried mockingly placing a hand on his chest.

"Oh, I'll wound you all right!" the taller boy threatened and lunged at him, tackling him off the bed. He knew he was dead but Kurt's indignant yelp was so worth it.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn had the best brother ever. Not only did he take him off the hook about the voting thing but did his laundry for him. And cleaned up his room. And made him cookies three days in a row. If Finn didn't know better, he'd start to suspect his intentions weren't completely pure.

Still, he wasn't going to complain because Kurt was making him pancakes for breakfast at the moment and everyone knew Kurt made the best pancakes ever (well, Kurt didn't call them pancakes but some strange-sounding French name but as long as he got to eat them he didn't care). Still, even by Kurt's high pancake standards, the heap doused in maple syrup and decorated with a big blob of whipped cream that Kurt placed before him made him goggle.

"Dude, this is awesome!"

"Dig in," Kurt replied with a small smile and sat opposite him with his toast, grapefruit half and orange juice.

Finn didn't need to be told twice.

"This is totally delicious, man!" he sighed in pure bliss, about half-way through the heap.

"I'm happy you like it but you can slow down, you know. They're not going run away from your plate," Kurt said in a friendly rebuke.

" 'orry," the other boy mumbled.

They continued their breakfast in silence for a while before Finn shot his stepbrother a tentative glance over the table.

"So, um…Rachel got the role," he said meekly.

Kurt sighed. "Of course she did. But she's not withdrawing from the race anyway, is she?" he asked with resignation.

"I hoped she would," the taller boy replied quietly, staring the remainder of his pancakes down. Then he raised his gaze to meet Kurt's unreadable expression. "When she told me, I was, like, double happy because I thought it would mean she was withdrawing and you have better chances but then she said she wanted to change the world and stuff and it would be her campaign slogan…I tried to tell her she's not going for the President _of__ the __USA_ but she wouldn't listen."

Kurt took in a rapid breath. "That's _my _line! I told her _my_ presidency would change things for many people! I hoped I'd persuade her to withdraw and she went behind my back and stole my line from me!" He slammed his mug on the table loudly. "This means war," he announced ominously.

"But...isn't it good that you both want to make things better?" Finn asked weakly.

Kurt's withering gaze was all the response he needed. He swallowed. What was that country's name again? Maybe he should just move there.

**XxXxXxX**

For the next couple of days Finn saw no signs of the said war, though, and he was relieved, if a hair surprised, that Kurt was indeed sticking to his promise and keeping him out of it. And then his blissful ignorance came to an end in the most unexpected place, namely under his mom's coffee table.

When you were a lanky, uncoordinated 6'2" teen, you learned pretty quickly that it was best not to duck under any type of furniture because you always ended up hitting your head or bruising your elbows or even knocking yourself out (he was twelve and it hurt a lot but that last Dorito was totally worth it!). Still, this time he had no choice as the TV remote had slipped from his hand and landed under the coffee table. He sighed. He'd known for quite some time that household objects had it in for him.

When he ducked, instead of the remote, the first thing to make it into his hands was a sheet of paper. He crawled out and examined it curiously, recognizing Kurt's handwriting. As he read through it, a frown grew on his face and then he was stomping angrily up the stairs and throwing Kurt's door open. The countertenor jumped in surprise from his bed.

Composing himself, Kurt stared Finn down. "Is there a reason why you're barging in here like some wild animal?"

Finn's reply was to chuck the now crumpled sheet of paper at the other teen's head. Kurt caught it after it bounced off his forehead. His brow knit, he unfolded it and paled as his eyes scanned the text.

"_The __Battle__ for__ Finn__'__s__ Soul_?" Finn scoffed. "Really, dude? It's a bit dramatic, even for you and Rachel," he drawled.

"Finn-"

"I like the scoring, though. The laundry, the cookies, the pancakes, you didn't forget anything," he said, his voice practically a growl.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the smaller boy replied, putting the sheet away and suddenly very intent on picking at some invisible lint on his cuff.

"Kurt, I know people often confuse the two but I'm a football player not a moron," he said through his teeth. "There's a difference."

There were many things Finn Hudson just let slide down his back but being treated like some hare-brained puppet by one of the few persons he truly trusted and cared about was not one of them.

"I thought you did it all cuz we're brothers and you wanted to do something nice for me. Maybe I am a moron after all," he said with a bitter laugh. "You know, there's no one I trust more than you and I never thought you'd use this trust for your own means. I never thought you, of all people, would manipulate me and treat me like some mindless dimwit you can win over with pancakes!"

Finn's words struck a chord but Kurt hid it deep down and when he met Finn's gaze, his eyes were hard and his lips drawn in a thin line.

"I'm just doing what I have to," he said. "Rachel's doing the same thing. Don't tell she isn't."

Finn wanted to deny it but nothing came out of his mouth. Wait a minute-

"She kinda did get more clingy lately…" he mused. "She even let me touch her-"

"Ok, I get the picture!" Kurt interrupted him shrilly, a look of mortification on his face. "Please no talk of Rachel Berry's body parts in my room."

Finn sighed, a grin creeping onto his face even though he was still angry. "You asked, dude."

"My mistake," Kurt replied.

"But you're right. Never before did she let me touch-" he stopped as the other boy stared him down with a warning glance. He cleared his throat. "Ok, you're right. She's doing it, too," he confirmed sadly.

"And I bet you won't tell her a thing about it, will you?"

"Well-" Finn lowered his gaze.

"Of course you won't," Kurt scoffed. "Because she's _Rachel_. But when it comes to me, you have no qualms about lashing out, do you? Because you still don't consider me your friend, let alone family. For all the milk chats and your big, sappy declarations and _Furt_, nothing's really changed," he finished, his chest heaving and his eyes tinged with a haunting hollowness that made Finn's heart break.

He goggled at the smaller boy, not really sure what to say. Frankly, he just wanted to take Kurt by the shoulders and shake him until he realized what an idiot he was.

On the other side of the room, Kurt was slightly taken aback by his words himself. In his moment of weakness he'd let all his old fears about Finn resurface. The insecurity which he thought he'd discarded a long time ago pounced on him again with an intensity that left him reeling. He swallowed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he finally asked when Finn remained silently standing at the door.

"Because there's a bucket of crazy where your head used to be, dude," he finally said and took a step towards his stepbrother. "I mean, do you even hear what you're saying? You're my brother and you're my best friend! We're, like, thick as rubbers!"

Kurt let out a mirthless chuckle. "It's r_o_bbers, Finn. And I think you meant thieves."

"Whatever. It made you laugh."

The countertenor rolled his eyes. "Yes, I laughed. That will solve all my problems."

"I dunno about that but it's sure as hell better than wallowing in self-pity!"

The countertenor drew his lips in a thin line. "I'm not wallowing!"

Finn opened and closed his mouth, deciding there was no use arguing about this. He sighed, trying to calm himself down.

"Do you know why I'm so angry with you?" he asked steadily.

"It's that time of the month?"

Finn clenched his teeth but forced himself not to raise to the bait. It was such a blatant try on Kurt's part to make him snap and leave that he almost felt offended.

"Not gonna work, dude," he said and could swear Kurt's shoulders sagged in defeat. "I'm angry because it's _you_ who still don't trust _me_. No matter how much I did to make it up to you or what we've been through together, in your head I'm still only that jerk who screamed at you in your basement, aren't I?"

It wasn't true, Kurt wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He'd forgotten about their sophomore year long ago. Finn was great and it wasn't his fault that the demons in Kurt's head refused to leave. Still, nothing came out of his mouth and he saw Finn's face fall. He felt tears in his eyes. It gutted him every time he knew he was the cause of the Finn's distress and there was such disappointment in his eyes now.

"Finn-"

"Save it," the taller boy growled and walked out.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn ducked behind his locker door seeing Kurt heading his way but the smaller boy just gave him a quick look as if he was scared of him and walked by with Blaine at his side.

It had been like that the whole week. While Finn felt really hurt and decided to be adamant about not talking to Kurt first, it was becoming hard. But when it turned out Kurt didn't even try to approach him and deny anything, he felt really stupid. He was such an idiot to think Kurt would ever forgive him for that night in the basement. It seemed it would forever cast a pall over their relationship.

He suddenly stopped, realizing he'd been so deep in thought he just let his feet lead him wherever and now he was standing in front of the library. He considered going in but thought Mrs. Simmons the librarian would get a heart attack or something if she saw him actually enter the library of his own will so he decided against it and headed for the cafeteria instead. It should be deserted at this time of the day and he really didn't feel like arithmetic right now, so he decided skipping it and eating would be best.

He was half-way through his lunch when someone slid in the chair opposite him.

"Wow. You must be really down," Blaine said eyeing the mountain of food on the other boy's tray.

Finn frowned. "'m hungry," he replied gruffly over a cheese stick and reached for his burrito.

"I think it's more than that."

The quarterback put his burrito down and frowned. "Dude, don't get all Jedi master on me."

Blaine chuckled lightly. "Sorry. I'm taking pills but sometimes I just can't help it."

Finn smiled despite his foul mood. He wasn't into guys but he could really see what Kurt saw in Blaine. His face fell at the thought of Kurt and he focused back on his food.

"Kurt told me about your…argument," the black-haired boy ventured.

"If Kurt sent you here-"

"He doesn't even know I'm here," Blaine assured him.

"Then why are you?"

"Because you're my friend and you're down."

Finn considered playing dumb and dismissing the subject but there was nothing but sympathy and concern in Blaine's eyes so Finn decided against it. He put the burrito down. "Kurt's promised not to draw me into this whole voting thing and he did it anyway," he said angrily. "I thought we were cool cuz he made me pancakes and did my laundry and stuff and it turns out he did all that only to make me vote for him!"

"So...you screamed at him for making you breakfast."

"Dude, he thought he can bribe me with pancakes!"

"Well, as I recall, in August you did agree to clean the whole garage on your own if Kurt made you cremee brulee," Blaine replied wryly.

Finn pouted. "That was different," he decided." What he did now was really not cool. When I found out, I blew a fuse. And now it's like he doesn't care at all! He won't even say hi to me!"

Blaine raised an eyebrow at him. "So, you want Kurt to give you space to make your own choice but at the same time you want him to fight for your vote?"

The taller boy groaned. "Dude, this is a rant! It's not supposed to be logic and stuff!"

"I get that." Blaine smiled. "But there's more. You two can't possibly be at odds with each other because of _pancakes_. What's the deal, Finn? You seem really-"

The quarterback stopped him by putting a hand up. Then he sighed in relief.

"Oh. It's just the cleaning lady," he explained. "From the distance it looked-"

"-tense."

"Um, no. I was gonna say old, wrinkled and evil. Like Mrs. Binns. I'm kinda skipping arithmetic and she has this habit of prowling the corridors for missing students."

Blaine blinked. Why had he transferred to this school again?

"Right," he said aloud. "So. Going back to what I was saying before we were rudely interrupted by nothing. You seem really tense, Finn."

The quarterback sighed. "You're going to be a pain about this, aren't you?"

Blaine grinned. "That's what friends do, Finn."

He sighed, still hesitant. But Blaine was really smart and kinda wise and Kurt trusted him so maybe it wouldn't be so bad to tell him.

"Kurt hates me."

Blaine blinked. "Um, last time I checked, which was some fifteen minutes ago, he pretty much _loved_ you, Finn."

"He hates me, Blaine," Finn insisted. "He doesn't talk to me. He doesn't even _look_ at me. Except when he puts on this mask of exaggerated niceness for our parents' sake, probably to keep himself from strangling me."

"Why would he be like that?"

The taller boy groaned pathetically. "I don't know. Because he hates me?"

"Finn, you're talking crazy here. What was in that burrito?" the black-haired teen asked wryly.

Finn shrugged. "It's true."

Blaine sighed. "Kurt loves you. He trusts you _with__ his__ life_," he enunciated. "Frankly, I'm a bit jealous about the bond you two have."

Finn glanced up at him. "How much exactly did Kurt tell you about our...bond?"

The black-haired boy gave Finn a thoughtful look. "I know he was in love with you," he said softly. "And I know you didn't exactly take it well, which I get because when Kurt does something, he never does it half-way, does he?"

"It got kinda intense," Finn admitted uneasily. He still felt bad talking about it. Probably always would. The f-word blowout was and would probably remain one of the most shameful moments of his life. "Did he tell you about...the basement?"

"He told me there was one point where he pushed you too far and you snapped."

Finn felt a surge of affection for his stepbrother. Trust Kurt to be fair and understanding and take half of the blame for something that was totally Finn's fault.

"I called him the f-word in his own room," he said dropping his gaze. "Burt heard it and threw me out...but that was nothing compared to the hurt and disappointment in Kurt's eyes. I tried to make it up to him but I'm afraid he's never really forgiven me for it. He puts up this front but inside, he still thinks I'm a homophobic jerk."

"You can't be more wrong, Finn," Blaine objected. "You made a mistake but you learned from it. Yes, I know about the wedding and do you know what Kurt told me about it? That he wished other people where half as open and accepting as you. So I think it's safe to say he doesn't think you're a homophobe. A jerk, maybe," he added teasingly. "Especially when you put his white jeans with your red socks in the washing machine."

Finn rolled his eyes. "That was, like, a month ago!"

"It's Kurt and clothes, Finn."

The taller boy cracked a smile. The he sobered. "Yeah. But even then he still talked to me. Why won't he now if he doesn't hate me?"

Blaine sighed. "He didn't want to tell me what went down between you two but if there's anything keeping him from talking to you it's _shame_, Finn. He's ashamed of what he said or didn't say to you, that's between you two to know, and that's why he's avoiding you."

Finn blinked. "I don't get it. I'm just a dumb jock who'll probably end up a Lima loser and Kurt – _Kurt_ – is ashamed of facing _me_? And what is it about him and Rachel fighting for my vote for president so badly?"

"Finn, you're kinda understimating yourself here-"

"I mean, Rachel's this fantastic, talented girl who'll make it on Broadway…and Kurt…" he stammered, picking his words carefully. "-Kurt is this bright and witty guy who will make it just as far…what do those two see in _me_? They're so talented and awesome and I'm just some dumb jock. Why do they care so much about me?"

"You really have no idea, do you?"

"Uh, no."

"You're everything they're not, Finn," Blaine said. "You're steady and you're safe. You keep them down to earth. You think with your heart and not your head or emotions and that's something those two, as much as I adore them, will never have. I don't know you as long as they do but even I can see they _need_ you."

The quarterback blinked. "Dude, you sure you're not a Jedi master?"

Blaine chuckled. "And you're just plain charming," he added wryly. "I can really see why those two would fight for your vote."

Finn ran a hand through his hair. "But I don't want to be in the middle like this! I feel like I'm standing between the Yankees and Red Sox!"

"You're a good, loyal person, whom they both love and respect," Blaine convinced him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The middle is precisely where you need to be, Finn."

The taller boy sighed. "As long as you're there with me, dude."

"You really think I'm a Jedi, don't you?" the black-haired boy asked wryly.

"No. That would be stupid. And really cool."

**XxXxXxX**

Finn was pacing in his room, anxiously awaiting Kurt's return. His talk with Blaine helped him sort out his issues and just like he had been avoiding it the whole week, now he he couldn't wait to talk to Kurt.

"You're going to wear a hole in that carpet," a familiar voice suddenly interrupted his train of thought.

Finn snapped his head around, a grin creeping onto his face. Without much thought, he went up to Kurt and threw his arms around him.

"Ok, ok! Air!" Kurt gasped but the rebuke was half-hearted and he reciprocated the hug with the same strength (almost, Finn was strong like a bear).

Finn let him go, suddenly feeling very awkward. He moved a couple of steps back. Kurt put his hands on his hips and observed him for a moment.

"So. I spoke with Blaine and it seems you're under the impression that I hate you," he said.

"Well-"

"You're a _complete __and __utter __oaf_, Finn Hudson."

The quarterback glanced up at him. "So...you don't hate me?"

"No."

"And you've really forgiven me for the basement?"

Kurt smiled. "What basement?"

Finn let out a relieved chuckle. "Listen, I'm really sorry about tearing your head off like that about the vote. I was unfair."

"I deserved it," the smaller teen admitted. "You had every right to be angry with me."

"No, I didn't. Not when I wasn't angry with Rach for doing the same thing," he said truthfully, sitting next to his brother.

Kurt smiled at him. "Well, to be honest, I understand that her...ah, means of persuasion might have left you...swaying to her side and not even knowing."

"She's as evil as you are," Finn decided. "Still, why does it matter so much? I mean, it's just me. One vote."

Kurt's expression softened and he took a while before replying. "Do you know the difference between strength and imperviousness?"

Finn blinked, not knowing where this was going. "Not if you're going to get all dictionary on me."

Kurt chuckled lightly before replying. "The difference is that when you're impervious, you don't need to be strong. When I met you, I was impervious – indifferent and letting everything that happened to me just happen and did nothing about it. And now I'm strong. I don't take crap from anyone anymore and I don't let it just slide down my back. After knowing you and Blaine, I now have the will and courage to actually do something about it. I'm strong."

Finn blinked because...wow. Just...wow. He never suspected Kurt thought so much of him but it meant the world. To know he had a part in making Kurt so kick-ass as he was now kinda made _him_ kick-ass, too.

"So you see, it's not just some one vote," Kurt continued. "It's a token of trust and confidence from one of the people I value most. One vote from you means a dozen from others," he finished quietly, his expression sincere.

"Dude, you should totally use that line on your posters," Finn said wryly. "It will get, like, Azimio to vote for you."

Kurt shot him a sideways look and chuckled. "Way to break the mood, Hudson."

"Well, it was getting kinda heavy."

Kurt sighed. "Why can't you be level-minded and somber for one minute?"

Finn grinned. "I can't. I'm an oaf, remember?"

The smaller boy reciprocated the grin. "Finally, we have a breakthrough! I'm so proud of you."

The quarterback narrowed his eyes at him. "Now we just need you to admit you're a stuck-up, sassy diva and all will be cool."

"I'm not sassy! I'm pithy and witty."

"-aaand full of yourself."

"I fail to see how that's a bad thing," Kurt replied crossing his hands over his chest.

Finn quirked an eyebrow. "You know what, I think I'm going to the other side of the room where there are no big-mouthed know-it-alls."

"Finnegan Hudson, we aren't finished yet!"

"I'm going now."

"_Fine_. Whatever."

"..."

"Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you anyway."

* * *

So this is it, guys! I hope you liked it, and you know what lets me know best? Your wonderful reviews, which I'm always ridiculously happy to get – your opinions truly mean a lot and help me write better:)

Two more weeks without Glee means time for free-styling...I have a couple of ideas of my own but if you have any prompts you'd like to see, drop me a note:)


	48. Broken Cars and Psycho Cows

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, Glee's not mine. Neither are Kurt or Finn. But I do own the Furtness below;)

**A/N: **Seriously, guys, you're amazing! I really want to print out all of your reviews and put them on my wall:) I hope you'll accept this piece of Furt free-styling as a thank you from me:)

* * *

**Broken Cars And Psycho Cows**

"You can stop now, dude. You look great."

"Dear Prada," Kurt uttered, turning around from his vanity to see Finn leaning against the doorframe and wearing an amused smirk. "Where did you come from?"

Finn shrugged. "My room."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I told you I'd meet you downstairs."

"You've been in here so long I was afraid you'd passed out or something," the quarterback said with a lopsided smile.

"So you thought you'd sneak up on me and in case I _wasn't_ passed out, startle me so that I would?"

Finn looked indignant. "Dude, I didn't sneak up! I knocked! It's not my fault you were too busy admiring your own reflection to notice."

"Knock twice, then," Kurt replied with a huff. "Don't just come waltzing in. What would you have done if I'd been sitting here stark naked covering myself in pudding?"

An alarmed look passed over Finn's face. "I dunno…is it something you're likely to do?"

"I might," the other teen said haughtily. "It's my room, I can do what I like in it."

"Well," Finn replied diplomatically, "-to be honest, I'd have to say I'd think you were very strange."

Kurt glared at him.

"Besides," the taller boy added. "You hate pudding."

"I think you're missing the point."

"Oh, you had a point?" Finn asked playfully. "I'm sorry, it must have gotten buried under all the pudding."

Kurt chucked a pillow at him, which the other teen caught easily. "What is it you always say about violence? It's a sign of helplessness?"

"You're way too cocky tonight, Finn Hudson," the countertenor remarked sourly, turning back to his mirror.

"Maybe," Finn chuckled. "But, hey, it's my first double date ever and we're gonna do some pretty awesome things!"

Kurt stared him down. "I don't know about that. I thought we were going to do something more...stylish."

"Hey, what's more stylish than bowling?"

"Gee, I don't know...how about _everything_?"

"Don't be such a kill joy!" Finn scolded. "It's going to be great! Do you know what they have down at the bowling alley?"

"Besides shoes that I wouldn't wear even if they were patent leather and designed by Manolo Blahnik?"

Finn blinked. He didn't really understand half of what Kurt said but when that happened, he'd learned it usually meant his stepbrother was talking about fashion. Or insulting him. Or both.

"Uh, yeah," he stammered after a moment. "Besides...that."

"Thrill me," Kurt replied with an eye roll.

The taller boy didn't heed his tone of voice and exclaimed happily, "Pool tables!"

"Pool tables at a bowling alley?" the countertenor repeated putting his brush down with a thud. "And I thought this couldn't get any trashier," he groaned and hid his face in his hands. "Why did I ever agree to do this?"

"Cuz you were pretty much outvoted by Rach, Blaine and me."

"Democracy is stupid," the countertenor decided darkly.

"You can always move to Cuba or something," Finn offered helpfully and dodged another pillow. "How many pillows do you _have_ hidden there, dude?" he asked bewildered.

"If you keep this up, you'll find out soon enough," Kurt replied menacingly.

"I guess I'm not _that _curious." The taller teen raised his hands in mock surrender. "And today's totally gonna be fun, you'll see."

Kurt sighed, trying hard not to become infected with his brother's enthusiasm but he knew it was helpless. He was feeling a grin building on his face already.

"We'll see," he conceded. "Now go away. I'm not ready yet and at least one of has to look human."

"Hey, I look ok! I combed my hair and brushed my teeth and I'm wearing cool clothes!" Finn objected.

"Cool? They look like you slept in them," the smaller boy countered.

"Hey, you've hidden your iron from me!"

"Of course I did," Kurt confirmed, crossing his hands over his chest. "There is no way you're going near it after the last time."

"I apologized for it like million times, dude!" Finn said defensively. "And it's not like I'd ever do it again!"

Kurt blinked. "Finn. You used my iron to _make a grilled-cheese sandwich_," he enunciated and raised his hand in warning seeing the other boy was opening his mouth to protest. "When there is a perfectly good sandwich-maker in the kitchen," he continued, staring his stepbrother down. "A sandwich-maker, which, as I recall, is the _only_ kitchen appliance you're still allowed to use without supervision. So, excuse me for being skeptical about your household skills."

Finn shrugged. "But it takes too long and I was really hungry!" he whined. "So I thought-"

"Finn, when will you learn that bad things tend to happen when you think?"

"Dude, I made up to you for it! Do you know how long it took to scrape the cheese off that iron?"

"Not long enough," Kurt retorted, narrowing his eyes.

Finn groaned. "Whatever. I don't want to use your stupid iron anyway. Wrinkles never killed anyone."

The countertenor tried to cover his chuckle with a stern look. "No. They just make you look like a lazy slob who's also possibly homeless. Or doesn't know how to use an iron," he retorted.

"Rachel doesn't mind."

"Rachel wouldn't mind if you wore holey pajama bottoms and that God-awful ancient Styx t-shirt you won't let me throw out."

"Hey, I love that t-shirt!" Finn said defensively. "You think I could go out like that?" he asked hopefully.

"Not when I'm within a hundred yards from you."

Finn stuck his tongue out at him.

"Very mature, Hudson," Kurt said wryly. "Where are you going?"

"To find an iron."

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Just take your clothes off first, ok? Don't try to iron them on yourself."

"Ok," Finn replied. Then he did a double take. "Dude, how did you know I was-"

"Just a hunch," Kurt replied, shaking his head.

**XxXxXxX**

"Remind me again, why did I agree to go in your car?"

"Uh, because you didn't want yours to be seen at a bowling alley?" Finn replied. "I'd have said 'Serves you right' if I weren't sitting next to you now," he added darkly.

Kurt sighed. "I should have just walked. Or taken public transport."

"Dude, you wouldn't have made it on time-"

"Oh right, because _now_ I will," Kurt replied pithily. "I'm _not_ and you know _why_? Because my brother is a half-wit who doesn't get his old rusting can of a car serviced until it falls apart in the middle of nowhere! Even though he works at a garage and his stepfather's a mechanic!"

Finn's car had started making suspicious choking noises several miles after they'd crossed Lima's borders. By the time they were somewhere half-way to Westerville, where they were to meet Rachel and Blaine, the old Ford choked one last time and the engine died with a miserable moan. Leaving them stranded.

"Dude, this car _always_ makes funny noises! I didn't think-"

"Precisely. You didn't think," Kurt said crisply. "Hand me the flashlight," he ordered.

Finn blinked. "You're gonna-"

"Dive under the rusting hood of your greasy old car in my Dolce coat. Yes. So not another word from you."

"Maybe I could do it," the other teen offered. If something happened to that coat, Finn knew Kurt would wear his intestines as a hat. "I mean, I've learned a lot since I started at the garage and-"

"Finn, all you do is change tires-

"Hey, I do oil jobs, too!"

Kurt shot him a sideways glance. "-and do oil jobs," he conceded. "Since I seriously doubt it's _either_, let me handle this if you want to get out of here while we're still young. You can hold the flashlight."

"Fine," Finn huffed as they both got out of the car.

After a quick (and very careful) look-over, Kurt straightened up from under the hood.

"The fuel injection's clogged," he announced with a sigh. "And as for oil jobs – would it kill you to get one for _your own car_?"

"I guess I forgot." Finn looked down at the car miserably. "And the injection thing – that's not good, right? What do we do?"

"We call the tow truck. Then we call Rachel and Blaine that we won't make it," he said with a sigh. "And you pay for my manicure and dry cleaner's."

Once they called the tow truck and reassured their worried second halves that they hadn't been abducted by the UFO or kidnapped for ransom, they sat on the hood, placing the flashlight between them so that it illuminated the little particles floating in the air. They had about a half-hour to kill before the tow truck got there. It was more than enough time for Finn to say what was on his mind.

"I'm sorry, Kurt."

"It's not really your fault, Finn." The smaller boy sighed. "And I'm sorry for making it sound like it was."

"Kinda used to that."

"Sorry for that, too," Kurt replied in a small voice.

Finn elbowed him in the side lightly. "Hey, I'm also kinda used to the fact that you don't mean half of the things you say when you're bitching, and the other half I don't understand anyway so it's cool. We're cool."

Kurt smiled at him softly. "That's...very understanding of you, Finn. And generous."

Finn grinned. "I know. I'm kinda great that way."

Kurt rolled his eyes but couldn't resist giving the other boy a friendly nudge.

Finn glanced at him. "I wanted to have the car fixed, you know," he said with a sigh, "but I don't have this kind of money."

Kurt blinked. "Finn, you know Dad would give you the parts and help you. We'd both would!"

The taller teen looked down at his hands, wringing them nervously. "I couldn't accept that, dude. I mean, Burt has a business to run and bills to pay and all of us to support, I couldn't just take stuff he has to pay for free from him!"

Kurt sighed. "Well, that is very honorable of you, Sir Finnegan. And also very stupid. He's your stepfather, Finn. We're family. That's what families do."

Finn smiled at him. He really liked when Kurt called them a family, especially when they'd gotten off to such a rotten start. While it was still new to him, it was reassuring and kinda great to know it wasn't just him and his mom like it had been all these years.

"Well, I really wouldn't know, would I?" he asked ruefully.

"I'll talk to Dad tomorrow about it," the countertenor declared.

Finn was adamant. "No way! Don't you dare, Kurt!" he objected and the smaller teen looked a hair taken aback by his reaction. Finn ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, please? I want to pay for it and just...do it right."

Kurt groaned. "You're going to be a stubborn jerk about this, aren't you?"

"Look who's talking!"

They stayed silent after that and Finn started fidgeting, trying to cover his unease. Unfortunately, it worked better than he'd have suspected because he shoved the flashlight in the process and they both watched as it rolled down, hit the ground and effectively fell apart, engulfing them in almost complete darkness.

Kurt sucked in a startled breath, clutching at Finn's arm instinctively. "Oh my God! What did you do!"

"Uh, sorry."

"_Sorry_? Is that what you'll say when some psycho killer slaughters us and we won't even be able to see him do it?"

Finn tried to hold back a chuckle. "Dude, I don't think seeing him would help you much," he replied wryly but when he saw genuine alarm flicker over Kurt's face, he patted him awkwardly. "Relax. There are no psycho killers here. Just sit where you are and we'll be fine."

"No, we won't!" Kurt said shrilly. "Get down there and fix that flashlight!"

"It's too dark," the taller teen objected. "I won't even be able to see where it fell!"

"Finn Hudson, you do that now or I swear I'll start freaking out."

"More than now?"

Kurt swatted him over the arm and Finn was thankful it was dark and he couldn't see the killer glare he was now surely the subject of.

"This is not funny! You know I'm afraid of the dark!"

Finn sighed and slid to the edge of the hood. Kurt grabbed him by the arm and hauled him back. "Where do you think you're going?"

Finn blinked. "But you just told me-"

"I know what I said! But I'm panicking here and it's not exactly meant to be logical!"

"Dude, I'm just going a step away."

"No, you aren't. Who knows what might be lurking out there!"

"Kurt, you'll be able to see me all the time," he assured him gently loosening his brother's steely grip on his forearm as he slid down the hood onto the ground. "See?"

Just as he was about to bend down and start looking for the flashlight, they both heard a disconcerting "Mooooo!".

"Oh my God! There's a frigging cow! Finn, where are you?"

"I'm here, buddy."

"Don't buddy me and get over here this instant!"

"But what about the flash-"

"I don't care about the flashlight!" the countertenor interrupted him, almost bodily hauling him back onto the hood. "We're going to get slaughtered by a psycho cow on a killing spree to revenge her family because we kill them and make them into greasy, disgusting burgers!"

Finn blinked. "Um, Kurt...have you been drinking? Or maybe that stuff you put in your hair-"

"Shut up and protect me from the psycho cow!"

The cow didn't seem too eager to get on with her killing spree, though, and after sitting in complete silence for about fifteen minutes, Finn decided it was time to light up the mood a bit.

"Boo!" he whispered over Kurt's ear and the other boy jumped.

"I swear to Gaga, Finn, I'm so going to kill you!" he hissed, flicking him over the head.

"Who's going to protect you from the psycho cow then?" Finn asked teasingly.

Kurt shot a withering look at the other boy, who was smirking triumphantly.

"You really think you're funny, aren't you?"

The quarterback shrugged. "I'm just a slave to majority's opinion, dude."

**XxXxXxX**

"Kurt, wake up. The tow truck's here."

Kurt mumbled something incoherent and snuggled closer into Finn's side. The quarterback smiled down at him softly and gathered him up in his arms, jumping down from the hood as the tow worker hooked his car up. He sidled into the front seat of the truck with Kurt still in his arms and sighed.

It wasn't exactly how he'd imagined this evening going...actually it was a complete disaster and yet somehow, it was also a win. He'd spent some quality time with his stepbrother, something he'd been missing lately. He looked down at the unusually calm, almost un-Kurt-like face of his stepbrother, still deep asleep, and didn't regret a single minute of the evening. Even if it was spent bickering and fending off psycho cows. He had no idea what that said about him, probably that he was one of those mayo... maso...those guys who enjoyed pain, but even if Kurt was a pain sometimes, he was his pain and he wouldn't change him for anything.

Who knows what other ground-breaking truths Finn would have uncovered if they hadn't stopped at the house at that very moment.

"Um, Kurt?" he nudged the other boy gently. "We're home."

"G'way," came a mumbled reply.

"I would but you're kinda sitting on me."

"Oh," Kurt muttered fuzzily, and straightened up, adorably disheveled. "Sorry."

"No problem." Finn grinned. "You're warm and fluffy and stuff so it's cool."

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes at him, all remains of sleep gone. "I am not warm and I'm most certainly not _fluffy_!" he said indignantly, his lips creasing into an all-too-familiar pout that made Finn grin even wider.

"You totally are, man. And these are good things-"

"Yes, for a stuffed animal!"

"What's wrong with that?"

He could almost physically hear Kurt roll his eyes and almost certainly heard him mutter something along the lines of "impossible half-wit".

He chuckled, shaking his head and following his stepbrother to the house. It never ceased to amaze him that he actually quite liked it when Kurt threw insults at him, though they were usually in good humor anyway. More than anything, they seemed to be confirmations from each other that they were close enough that blatant insults like "half-wit" and "idiot" didn't really have a meaning to them.

At least that's how he chose to interpret it. But somehow he had a hunch Kurt would agree. And call him an idiot.

**XxXxXxX**

"That Finn's Ford, kiddo?"

Kurt rolled out from under the said car and wiped his hands on a piece of cloth, smiling up at his dad.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I took the liberty of cleaning the fuel injection, replacing the carburetor and doing a full oil job."

Burt whistled. "How did that thing even start?" he asked, looking the car over. "I think you did much more than just that, son. It's quite impressive, actually."

Kurt shrugged modestly. "I had some free time on my hands so I thought I'd pimp it up a bit."

Burt raised an eyebrow. "That's great but as I recall, Finn said no one but him was to touch it, buddy."

Kurt moved his bangs away with an impish smile. "I'm hoping he'll be too stricken with the awesomeness of what I've done to bite my head off."

"Awesomeness?" Burt repeated wryly. "He's really rubbing off of you, son. The next thing you know, you'll be watching football with us."

Kurt pouted. "Only if they break into song and start dancing Beyonce."

"Dear God help us all when that happens." Burt chuckled, then turned back to the Ford. "It's really great what you did on this car, son, but didn't Finn want to do it by himself?"

Kurt shot him a skeptical look. "Dad, it's _Finn_. I wouldn't let him near a carburetor if his life depended on it."

"I think you should give him more credit. He advanced to oil jobs last week."

"So I've heard. Thank God. I really hate those."

"Like you ever did them anyway, kiddo." Burt scoffed. "Apart from one on your brother's car, apparently," he added pointedly. He gave his son a scrutinizing gaze. "What's going on here? Ever since you've got Blaine, I can't remember you coming here to work at all. But the boys tell me you've been working on Finn's car for the last three days and that you're paying for all the parts. Did you make some kind of bet with your brother?"

Kurt sighed. "It's not a bet, Dad. I just...do you know why Finn's car was in this state in the first place? It was because Finn wouldn't ask you for help or parts. He had no way of paying you back and he felt bad about being indebted to you. I guess he...we both, have been without a whole, complete family for so long that we're wary and careful about it even now that we finally have one. So, I wanted to show Finn he doesn't need to feel like this anymore."

Burt looked at him for a while, pride swelling in him as he looked at the mature, sensitive, kind boy in front of him, who reminded him of his mother so much. He put a hand on Kurt's cheek and though he could see his son was slightly surprised by the gesture, he welcomed it. No words could ever convey more.

"So," Burt muttered awkwardly after a moment, stepping back and rubbing a hand over his head. He cleared his throat. "I see you're not done with the repacking of that left wheel bearing. Want some help?"

Kurt smiled at him brightly. "I thought you'd never ask."

**XxXxXxX**

"Dude? Is that my car in the driveway?" Finn asked suspiciously, looking out the window the next morning. "And is there a red ribbon on the roof?"

Kurt smiled at him mysteriously over his cereal. He'd been impatiently waiting all morning for Finn to notice but now that he had, he strove to remain composed.

"Is there?" he asked innocently.

Finn shot him a sideways look. "Yeah. There is. You know anything 'bout it?"

"Why would I?"

"Dude, will you stop answering me with questions?"

The countertenor smiled teasingly. "Am I answering you with questions?"

Finn let out a frustrated groan and went out, grabbing his coat in the hall. Kurt followed him out and caught up to him just as the other teen was standing a couple of feet away from the car, his mouth agape.

"Brand new tires?" he uttered, kneeling to take a better look. "And are those _chrome rims_?" he looked at Kurt.

"You like them?"

"They're awesome, man!" he exclaimed.

"There's also a new carburetor, fuel injection and front bearings. It should serve you for a couple more years without any more...adventures."

Finn shook his head, sliding into the driver's seat and clutching the wheel. He took a silent moment before jumping out and gathering Kurt up in a fierce embrace, twirling him in the air.

"You're SO awesome, man!"

"Ground! Ground! I don't like being off it!" Kurt protested good-naturedly, secretly enjoying Finn's warmth and infectious laughter.

When the taller teen finally put him down, Kurt saw the grin disappear from his face.

"I really don't know how to thank you, man, and please don't think of me as ungrateful or something..." Finn pushed a hand through his hair. "-but I can't accept this."

Kurt waved a hand. "Oh, don't worry, you'll work the parts off at the shop. And the workmanship's on the house."

"Kurt-"

The smaller teen sighed. "Treat it as an early birthday present, ok?"

"But my birthday's in March!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "A _very_ early birthday present, then."

"You're going to be a stubborn jerk about this, aren't you?"

Kurt smiled wryly. "Look who's talking."

The quarterback smiled at him. "Thank you. You're the most awesome brother ever," he said with that smile that you just had to reciprocate, and Kurt did. Then Finn looked back at the car. "So. Wanna take it for a spin?"

"Sure."

Once they were buckled up, Finn looked at him uneasily.

"Um, Kurt?"

"Yes? What other matters of existential value are troubling you?"

"Does this mean you won't get me anything else for birthday?"

"Just drive. Please."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this, guys, you know what to do now:)

Since Glee isn't doing a Halloween episode this year and I happen to have gotten a furtastic prompt, get ready for some Halloween!Furt next chapter:) Until then!


	49. Trick or Britt

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Not mine, although I do own this Furt moment:)

**A/N: **Sorry this is late but I wanted to do this right and it took a while longer than I thought. I hope you don't mind and enjoy this bit of Halloween Glee.

_A huge thanks to the wonderful, one-and-only **petalene** for all her fantastic ideas and support! This chapter wouldn't come to life without her! You rock, girl:)_

* * *

**Trick Or Britt**

"Finn! Slow down!"

"Kurt, can I borrow your make-up stuff?" he said quickly. "I'm sorry I stepped on your toe," he added as an afterthought.

Kurt blinked. "You want to borrow my _what_?"

"Uh, your make-up?"

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes at him. "Finn, if this is another one of your stupid bets with Puck-"

"It's not, dude!" Finn denied vigorously. Kurt gave him a skeptical look. "At least not in the way you think," he conceded, suddenly finding the rug incredibly interesting.

Kurt sighed. "Why doesn't that sound reassuring?"

"I mean, it's not like usual."

"Oh, so you _won't_ try to use my collection of hats for shooting practice this time?" he asked snidely.

"Dude, it was Puck's idea!"

"Which you were only too happy to go along with."

"I only picked the really ugly hats with feathers and stuff!" Finn objected. "You'd get killed if you went to school in one of them, man! I did you, like, a favor!"

Kurt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yes, I'm _so_ grateful. Let me express just how much by a kick in the-"

"I said I was sorry!"

"So you did," Kurt agreed, narrowing his eyes. "And yet there's still a gaping hole in my Armani fedora. And now you come to me, step on my toes and want a favor. Can you see how I might be a tad reluctant?"

Finn squirmed. "Uh, yeah?" he mumbled. "But you'll help me cuz you're my brother and you love me, right?"

"No. Right now, I'm simply curious." Kurt deadpanned, trying to hide the smile growing on his lips. "What's this about Puck and my make-up kit?"

"It's a Halloween bet," Finn replied evasively.

"And?"

The taller boy glanced at him sheepishly before deciding to continue with a defeated sigh. "The one who gets more candy trick or treating, gets to take Rachel to Britt's party."

Kurt had to stop himself from gaping. "Ok, I'm not sure there's any way of finding out why in hell you'd ever agree to this without me asking you a whole bunch of questions I really don't want to ask you. So I'll just assume you have a problem."

Finn blinked. "Problem?"

"Yes," the smaller boy confirmed darkly. "A big problem with _your brain being missing_."

"Hey, Puck challenged me and I couldn't say no! It's the bro code of honor…or something," he stuttered under Kurt's glance.

"Bro code." The smaller boy crossed his hands over his chest. "So it had nothing to do with the fact that it's the perfect excuse for you to dress up, go trick or treating and stuff yourself with free candy till your eyes pop out."

Finn fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "Well, it is our last year before college-"

Kurt sighed. "Precisely. _Last year before college_," he enunciated. "You're not a kid anymore, Finn, and you want to dress up and take candy from strangers?"

"Or play pranks if they don't give it," Finn supplanted.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Play pranks. Are you out of your _mind_, Finnegan?" he asked, feeling irritation rising within him so he took a couple of deep breaths and continued in a different vein, "What does Rachel think about this?"

Finn swallowed. Kurt arched a knowing eyebrow at him.

"You haven't told her, have you?"

"I was meaning to but then Puck said I was a wuss asking my girlfriend about everything and-"

Kurt raised a hand. "So you decided that the only way to save your threatened masculinity was to bet your girlfriend like a commodity. Way to build a strong equal-rights relationship, Finn."

The taller boy glared. "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

Kurt sighed. "It's me, Finn. I'm always sarcastic."

Finn's mouth crumpled. "Rachel will kill me," he uttered.

"And that's where you're not wrong," Kurt agreed brightly.

"I don't see why you think this is so funny…"

"Not funny," Kurt corrected. "Hilarious."

Finn scowled.

"Don't look at me like that," Kurt said reprovingly. "You did this to yourself, Finn."

"And now I just have to undo it."

Kurt crossed his arms. "Oh?"

"I've got a plan," Finn announced. "I just have to come up with an awesome costume. I'll get tons of candy and win the bet. Rachel won't know a thing."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "That simple, is it?"

"Yeah. So, will you lend me your make-up stuff?"

"No," Kurt replied categorically and Finn's face fell. "There's no way you're coming near my cosmetic kit unsupervised. When you come up with a costume, come to me and _I'll_ do your make-up."

The other boy's face lit up. "Thanks, man! You're the best!"

Kurt looked after his stepbrother loping up the stairs in excitement with a shake of his head. Why did he have a Really Bad Feeling about this?

**XxXxXxX**

"So, uh, is it always like this?" Blaine asked handing Finn another set of orange and black lights they were hanging over the porch. "Don't get me wrong, I'm all for holiday decorations but any more lights and your house will be visible from space."

Finn chuckled and took the lights from him. "Dude, it's _Kurt_," he said climbing higher up the ladder and putting the lights in place. "Just wait till you see Christmas."

Blaine shook his head. "He never does things half-way, does he?"

"Nope," the taller teen agreed with a lopsided smile. "And I always end up climbing something or hanging off of stuff…the things he cooks are totally worth it but I'm glad you're here to help this year, man."

"No problem," Blaine said with a smile, crouching to go through one of about a dozen boxes with decorations they had brought down from the attic. "It's actually-" he said, taking out a life-sized skeleton, "-lots of fun." He pulled at the string on its back, which made the skeleton wave its arms and legs. He eyed it with amusement, which the skeleton didn't seem to fully appreciate. "And also kinda new for me. We never really celebrated Halloween at my house," he finished casually and put the toy away.

He heard a loud thump behind him and whipped around, his face draining of all color at the thought that Finn had fallen off the ladder and broken his neck. Finn might think Blaine was there to help out and well, he was, but the primary reason was that Kurt had asked him to make sure Finn didn't hurt himself. If he did, his boyfriend would kill him slowly and chop his remains into pieces.

Hence, he sighed in relief when he saw the tall teen didn't fall but simply jumped off the ladder less-than-gracefully and was looking at him in shock.

"Dude, you didn't celebrate Halloween?" he asked incredulously. "Was yours one of those creepy dark houses kids are always afraid to go to?"

"God, no." Blaine chuckled. "Though I guess it would have been more fun that way. Mine was one of those candy-is-bad-for-you-so-we'll-give-you-tooth-floss-instead houses."

Finn frowned. "That sucks, man. But you did go trick-or-treating, right?"

"I didn't." Blaine smiled sadly at him. "My parents wouldn't let me. They said Halloween was no excuse for taking candy from strangers and spoiling my teeth rotten. So I got lots of tooth floss and a book every year and stayed in."

Finn's eyes were big as saucers. "Dude, how did you get by?"

"I taught myself to make tooth-floss animals," Blaine replied wryly. Then he pushed a hand through his hair. "It wasn't really that bad. You know what they say – you can't miss something you never had."

The taller teen looked at him with a set expression. "Well, you're gonna have it this year, man," he vowed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm totally taking you with me."

Blaine blinked. "You're…going trick or treating? Aren't you a little old for that, Finn?"

"It's a long story, man," the taller boy replied evasively. "But hey,_ free candy_. And if you have to fight some kiddies for it, that's all the more fun."

"Um, don't you think it's a bit unfair? I mean, taking candy from kids-"

"Dude, have you ever _tried_ taking candy from a kid? They're nasty!"

The shorter boy chuckled. "I'm not even gonna ask."

Finn grinned. "So, you're in?"

"Tacky costumes, tooth-spoiling candy, fighting middle-schoolers?" Blaine summed up and smiled. "Of course I'm in."

"Cool!"

His enthusiasm was infectious and Blaine found he was genuinely excited and looking forward to it, his high school junior pride be damned.

They continued to work in companionable silence for a while until Kurt poked his head through the kitchen window.

"Blaine, how are you two doing?" he asked. "House still in one piece?"

"Hey, don't you trust me?" Finn asked in a hurt voice.

"Implicitly," Kurt replied without losing a beat. "I just don't trust you not to break things."

Finn huffed and Blaine chuckled. "We're fine. Almost finished, in fact."

"Good. I could use your help in the kitchen."

"I could-" Finn offered but let his voice trail under his stepbrother's gaze.

"_You_ are not stepping into my kitchen, Finnegan."

"But-"

"No," Kurt said categorically. "I need actual help not some dunderhead making things explode and _eating the dough when he thinks I'm not looking_," he finished pointedly.

Finn shrugged and gave Blaine a grin. "Hey, it was worth a shot."

**XxXxXxX**

"He bet Rachel? Oh, she'll be thrilled," Blaine chuckled and tried to dip a finger in the bowl with the cookie dough. "So that's why he was so vague about the whole thing when he asked me to go with him."

Kurt snapped his head around and Blaine quickly retracted his hand from the bowl.

"Please don't tell me you're going trick or treating. With Finn."

"Um, yes? It could be fun with the costumes and asking strangers for candy and-," he trailed off weakly.

"Blaine. Please." Kurt scoffed and turned back to the stove. Blaine decided it was now or never and reached his hand towards the dough again. "You sound like you've never been trick or treating before."

"Well, I-"

Kurt whirred around before he could finish and batted his hand away from the bowl with a glare. "Blaine Anderson, what did I say about you eating the dough?"

"That it was ok and kinda cute?"

Kurt gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, only the exact words I used were 'Don't!'."

The black-haired teen pouted. "It's not my fault it's the best I've ever tasted!"

"You're no better than Finn." Kurt's tone was stern. Blaine grinned. "Don't even try to win me over with your compliments and your charm," he hedged, "because it will probably work."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and leant over the table, placing a kiss on the tip of Kurt's nose. Rewarded with a blush on his boyfriend's cheeks, he sat back and took a spoonful of the dough.

Kurt turned around and Blaine was sure he heard him mutter something about 'impossible boyfriends who are too dapper for their own good'. He was about to go in for another spoon of the dough when suddenly there was movement in the doorway and he froze.

"ROAR!" came from the entrance as a mummy barreled into the kitchen, making Kurt let out an unmanly shriek and Blaine jump up.

"The costume works!" Finn exclaimed happily. "It's actually scary!"

Kurt glowered. "It's _scarily awful_, Finn."

"That's good, right?"

"Well, it…looks like it took a lot of work," Blaine offered politely taking in Finn's TP-ed form.

"It did," Finn agreed. "I've been working on it for the last hour," he added proudly just as a long strip started unwrapping from his forehead. He tucked it back in and looked at Kurt. "Oh, and we're totally out of toilet paper."

"Oh dear God, Finn! You used _all_ of it?" Kurt asked incredulously.

The taller boy fidgeted. "Kinda."

Kurt drew his lips in a thin line. "Two full packages." He sighed. "No wonder it was so quiet around here."

"So, can I go like this?"

"Finn, let me spell this out for you," the countertenor said, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to will his exasperation away. "_You're wrapped in toilet paper_."

"So…that's a no?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Finn, that's a no."

"Damn, I knew I should have gone with sheets," he muttered and stomped off.

Kurt turned back to the stove, shaking his head and Blaine let out a chuckle.

"It's never boring around here, is it?"

Kurt sighed and leaned against the countertop. "I don't think there's even such a word as 'boring' in Finn's vocabulary." He raised an eyebrow. "So, you still so sure you want to go trick or treating with him?"

"Now I'm even more excited," the black-haired teen replied, sneaking a ball of mozzarella, which was supposed to act as an eyeball, complete with ketchup veins and an olive for a pupil. Kurt's creativity knew no bounds.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Kurt scoffed. "Really, Blaine. Finn I can understand, he's a big baby who'd use any excuse to get candy, but you? Haven't you done this enough?"

"Actually, I haven't," Blaine replied.

"It's the same every year and we're really too old-" Kurt replied absentmindedly, putting the last of the cupcakes in the oven and setting the timer. Wiping his hands on his apron, he looked up at the other boy with a frown. "Wait, what?"

"I never went trick or treating," Blaine said with a sigh, wondering how many more perplexed-slash-scandalized looks he was to endure this year.

Kurt didn't look scandalized, though. If anything, he looked sympathetic and abashed, which made Blaine feel a wave of affection for him.

"I…I'm so sorry," Kurt uttered. "Here I am demeaning and ridiculing when you've never- Gaga, I'm so callous!"

"Kurt, it's fine," the other teen said soothingly and got up, wrapping Kurt in an embrace. "It's no big deal," he assured him and leaned in so that their faces were but an inch apart. "But you know, I won't mind if you want to apologize," he added mischievously, "and I think I know the perfect way," he finished in a whisper closing the distance between them-

"BOOO!"

Bumping foreheads, the two boys jumped away as Finn cackled evilly from the entrance. Kurt spared him a truly murderous glare.

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" he burst angrily. "Finnegan, if you keep this up, I swear to you Rachel won't kill you. You know why? Because _I'll_ kill you first!"

Finn had the grace to look repentant. "I'm sorry, dude. But it's the kitchen - it's a public place! So next time, put up a sign or something."

Kurt huffed, trying to hide the pink hue growing on his cheeks.

"So, you going to football training, Finn?" Blaine asked, hoping the other teen would catch the bait and let the subject down because he feared Kurt was in serious danger of hyperventilating otherwise.

"No, this is my costume, dude! I'm a zombie quarterback!"

"Now I'm officially horrified," Kurt groaned. "Cliché much, Finn?"

"Hey, I'm not wearing any toilet paper!"

"Yes, that can certainly be counted as a plus," Kurt replied snidely. "The only one."

Finn sighed. "How about a gangster? Or a vampire?"

"Finn. No," the countertenor enunciated. "If you show up here in one more costume, I think I'm going to knock myself unconscious."

Finn blinked. "Um, there something wrong with them?"

"Apart from _everything_?" Kurt asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. He sighed and clasped his hands together, all business. "What's Rachel going as?"

"Um, that chic from the Wizard of Oz?"

"Dorothy?"

"Yeah."

Kurt nodded. "Well, in that case the choice is fairly simple."

Finn blinked. "It…is?"

"Yes. The Wizard of Oz has plenty of great costumes and I'm sure Rachel will appreciate if you wear something that coordinates with her Dorothy," Kurt said matter-of-factly. "She might even put off killing you for the bet," he added sweetly.

Finn looked slightly alarmed and confused. And also alarmed. "You won't make me wear feathers, will you?"

"I should," Kurt replied snarkily and heard Blaine chuckle from his seat. "But no, not this time."

"Speaking of costumes, I think I'll leave you two to it and go home to work on my own," Blaine said getting up. "Finn, what time should I be here for the trick or treating?"

"How about six?"

"Ok. You'll meet us at the party at Britt's, Kurt?"

"Like I'd let you two roam the neighborhood unsupervised." Kurt said, hiding his smile as he rolled his eyes. "I have to live here for almost a year more after today."

Blaine smiled at him softly. For the front he put up, he knew Kurt well enough to know he was doing this only for him, against his will and better judgment.

"Thank you," he whispered, placing a chaste kiss on Kurt's lips.

**XxXxXxX**

"Finn. Finn. Just hold still."

"I can't, dude! You're totally gonna stick me with one of those pins!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'll only stick you if you move," he admonished. "So hold still."

Finn let out a labored sigh and did his best to obey. It was hard not to fidget anxiously when Kurt was standing behind him holding a bunch of really pointy and sharp pins. He focused on his reflection in the mirror instead. He wasn't sure what his character was but he had to admit Kurt did a wonderful job. The make-up was awesome and the outfit was comfy and warm while realistic. He looked really good. Even if there was straw sticking out from his sleeves and shoes.

"Thank you for offering Blaine to come with you," Kurt said softly, hovering on a stool somewhere over his right shoulder. "That was really sweet of you." He smiled. "You don't have to care about him and yet you do. I appreciate that. You're amazing, Finn Hudson."

"He's my friend. And I'd do the same thing for anyone who's this close to you, man." Finn shrugged. "Ouch!" he exclaimed. "Dude, I know I was being sappy but did I really deserve a pin in the neck?"

"I told you to hold still!" Kurt hissed, slapping him up the head lightly.

After a moment of silence, he hopped off the stool and admired his handiwork. "There. The perfect Scarecrow."

"Scarecrow? Didn't he, like, not have a brain?"

"Originally," Kurt agreed with a smile. "But he went on to become the wisest man in all of Oz."

"Oh." Finn grinned. "I guess I can live with that."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "He was also very tall and had gangly limbs. That's what made me choose this costume."

The taller boy scowled. "You know, you could really cut on the honesty sometimes, dude."

"I know." Kurt chuckled. "I'm going to put my costume on. Try not to destroy yours in the meantime. Better yet, just don't move."

**XxXxXxX**

"The Scarecrow," Blaine said with a smile when Finn opened the door in full outfit. "Nice."

"Yeah. Kurt's the best."

"Speaking of whom- Oh." Blaine swallowed as he watched his boyfriend stand on the top of the stairs in that exact moment. He looked fabulous. Stylish and colorful and those slacks made his legs go on forever and- oh boy, he was in _so much _trouble.

Kurt seemed to know perfectly well what effect he was having on his boyfriend as he flashed them both a brilliant smile, twirled and walked down the stairs to meet them.

"Dude, you look really cool but where's your costume?"

Kurt looked indignant. "This is my costume!"

"You just look like every other day, man," Finn ploughed on and Blaine was trying really hard not to laugh out loud at the look of indignant anger – or angry indignity – Kurt was flashing his stepbrother. "Well, maybe your bow-tie thingy's bigger than usual."

Kurt hid his face in his hands. "So my dad was right. I really dress like I own a chocolate factory."

"Dude, it's not a bad thing! You look cool and _Kurt _and stuff!" Finn offered apologetically.

"Relax, babe." Blaine chuckled and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You look great. You're the most adorable Willy Wonka I've ever seen."

"Thank you. I guess." Kurt sighed and mustered a smile. "And who are you?"

"You don't know?" Blaine asked disappointed. "The goggles? The white coat?"

Both boys shook their heads.

"The white rubber gloves? The Evil League of Evil? Nothing?"

"A butcher?" Finn tried.

"Seriously?" Blaine said incredulously. "Dr. Horrible!" Both boys shook their heads and he groaned. "I'm _so_ making you both watch a Whedon marathon after this."

**XxXxXxX**

"Kurt, you're just gonna stand here in the street like this?"

"Yes," the countertenor confirmed, picking at a thread in his sleeve. "You do your thing and I'll wait here and pretend I don't know you."

"Suit yourself." Finn shrugged and he went off with Blaine to knock on the first door.

Kurt sighed and took a look around. None of the house decorations could match the finesse of the Hudmel house but the neighbors went all out and he had to admit it was fun to be out on this particular night. Groups of ghosts, witches, ghouls, Harry Potters and all sorts of magical creatures passed him by and he found himself grinning.

Suddenly he felt something land on his shoulder. He screeched as a big spider started moving up towards his face. He jumped aside only to be hit in the forehead by a bat. Retreating frantically, he got himself entangled in cobwebs.

Suddenly there was a cackle and he froze, seeing a dark shape emerge from behind the closest tree.

"Mrs…Dippet?" he panted, goggling at the old lady dressed in a witch outfit.

"Hello, Kurt. I see you like my decorations," she remarked with a wicked smile, brandishing a fishing rod, where she had the toy spiders and bats attached.

"Um, yes. Very much."

"You have an impressive range, my boy," she remarked wryly and pushed a handful of candy into his hand. "Here's for being such a good sport about this," she said and tiptoed back behind the tree to wait for another victim.

Kurt stood there, still getting over his shock when Finn and Blaine came back.

"That was a bust! No one was home!" the taller boy announced with disappointment.

"Kurt? You ok, babe?" Blaine asked, taking in the look on his boyfriend's face.

"Dude!" Finn exclaimed also focusing his attention on his stepbrother. "Where did you get the candy? Ooh, you even got Red Vines!"

Kurt snapped out of it and handed them both the sweets. "Don't leave me alone again."

Blaine nodded with a frown and was about to investigate but Finn tugged them both along the street.

"Come on! If I'm to beat Puck, we've got to step it up!"

And so they did. They covered twelve houses in the next hour and Kurt was positively exhausted but both Finn and Blaine were having so much fun that he didn't have the heart to complain.

And then he forgot all about his sore feet when he heard the click of hooves on the asphalt. The three of them stood transfixed as a headless horseman rode past.

Kurt blinked. "Was that-"

"A horse," Blaine said shaking his head. "An actual horse."

"Awesome!" Finn said. "This is the best Halloween ever!"

"I think I have to agree." Blaine smiled.

"I will when we're safe and sound at Britt's," Kurt said glancing at his watch. "It's almost time to head over to her house."

"Come on, just one more house!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Finn, you've got at least five pounds of candy already!"

"It's my life on the line here, dude! I've gotta be sure I beat Puck!"

Kurt rolled his eyes but they both followed Finn.

The routine went as usual until the trick or treat part. The old lady that had opened the door smiled evilly at that and said, "Well, I have a trick for you!". Then she disappeared behind the door and didn't come out for a while. Finn wiggled his eyebrows at Blaine and Kurt, who was standing a few steps away.

"This is going to be a win, I can feel it!" he said with a grin.

"I don't know, Finn," Blaine said slowly, stepping back and eyeing the eerily silent house with growing premonition.

When they saw the old lady again, she was leaning through the first floor window with a bucket in her hands. She smiled and tipped it over. Finn pushed Blaine away and the contents landed straight on him.

"Hey!" Kurt yelled angrily in the direction of the window, rushing towards the two of them.

"Happy Halloween!" came from the window and three candy bars flew out landing on the porch.

"Finn, are you ok?" Kurt said breathlessly, scrambling over to his brother, who was lying sprawled on his back.

"Yeah," he groaned in response. "Wow, she really must have had a rough one last year," he said sitting up and massaging his elbow, which took the brunt of the fall. "Blaine, you ok?"

"I'm fine," the black-haired boy assured him, crouching on his other side. "Thanks to you."

Finn grinned. "I couldn't let your first trick or treating end with a splushie."

"Splushie?" Blaine chuckled. "You sure you didn't hit your head, Finn?"

"Splushie is a bigger slushie," Kurt clarified. "You stay in New Directions long enough, you'll find out all about it," he added darkly.

"That lady could give Karofsky a few lessons," Finn added, standing up.

"Oh God, what is that _smell_?" Kurt uttered, covering his nose with his hand.

Finn sniffed at his outfit. "I think it's me," he said. "Sour milk and rotten eggs," he added matter-of-factly after another sniff. "I'm sorry the costume's ruined, Kurt."

"It's not your fault, sweetie," the countertenor assured him, smoothing down Finn's unkempt hair in an affectionate gesture. He scowled at the house. "Wait till Dad hears about it. That old crone will be begging you to take candy next time. But now let's get you home. You seriously need to change and I have to come up with a new costume for you in less than an hour," he said looking at his watch.

"Hey, at least I totally won the bet! No way Puck's beating me now."

"Smelling like this, you don't have to worry," Kurt observed with a raised eyebrow. "Rachel won't come within a mile from you."

**XxXxXxX**

"Dudes, why is Britt's house pink? Isn't orange the color of Halloween?"

Kurt sighed. "Finn, it's Britt. Just roll with it. Blaine – prepare yourself to see Brittany in her natural habitat."

"Should I be worried?"

"No. But it's best you turn off your common sense."

"Now I'm worried," Blaine said wryly as they stepped onto the porch. "Um, are these bunnies? Pink bunnies with candles?"

"Common sense," Kurt whispered just as Brittany opened the door wearing a very skimp pink Playboy bunny outfit.

"Hey guys!" she beamed at them. "You're just in time for body shots!"

Finn goggled at her and Kurt made a choking sound.

"Um, sounds like fun, Britt," Blaine replied politely.

She smiled at him and took his hand. "You should totally do shots off Kurt."

This time Blaine choked while Kurt's face turned beet-red. Finn tried hard not to burst out with laughter.

"Um, sorry?" the black-haired boy uttered when he got his breathing under control.

"He's got such nice skin," she replied dreamily, staring at Kurt, who at this point looked like a big stalk of rhubarb. "If you don't want to, I'd love to do it."

"Hey, Britt, so, um, what's with the bunnies?" Finn asked quickly, trying to change the topic because Kurt looked like he was about to drop through the floor.

"Santana told me to dress up as the scariest thing I know," she replied with a shrug.

"Oh. Right."

"How about you?" she turned to Blaine and Kurt. "Why aren't you dressed as unicorns?"

Blaine looked at his boyfriend, who still seemed to be unable to speak and cleared his throat.

"Um, we only wear our unicorn outfits for very special occasions."

"Like weddings and funerals?" Britt asked knowingly.

Blaine goggled. Finn gave him a shrug and an it's-Britt-just-go-along-with-it look.

"Um, yeah. That's right."

"Cool. Think I could wear my bunny outfit to funerals?"

Blaine looked really at a loss and Kurt just shook his head. "Of course, sweetie," he said gently. "Just not when it's someone you know, ok?"

Brittany nodded thoughtfully and waved them in. "Come on, it's Lord Tub's turn for shots!"

Blaine looked at Finn and Kurt. "You weren't kidding."

"Nope."

"You'll learn to love her," Finn said and patted him on the shoulder. "Or run away screaming."

Blaine smiled weakly. Right now, he really wasn't sure which it was going to be.

* * *

So, that's it, guys! I hope you liked this! It's my first time writing Britt so I'm kinda nervous (in case you were wondering, yes, the bunnies are a tribute to Buffy) - you tell me what you think:) Reviews are love and each sways Blaine a bit more to stay;) And yay for the official end of hiatus and today's new epi!


	50. 3x04: That's What Brothers Do

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer**: Nothing. I'm just a fan girl who can't resist playing with RIB's wonderful creations:)

**A/N**: I don't know if you know, guys, but this is the **50. chapter **and 'Odds' has a year! **A year**! And you still want to read it! Seriously, I can't believe it and have never imagined this story would go so far! It's all thanks to you, you know. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you like this story and have stuck with it for so long – I pinch myself every time I see a review, alert or fave in my maibox. Your reviews and messages of encouragement mean so very much and I'm so thankful to have yofu as readers. 3

I think this is a good moment to thank some amazing people who have been with me for most of this adventure so far and without whom this wouldn't have been possible. So, a huge thank you for all the support and smiles, for the wonderful talks and brain storming, for putting up with my rants and honoring me by sharing your thoughts with me, to:

**Bexta03, ChuckNorrisLeftHand, petalene, Living in a fantasy, B00kw0rm92, Lunalike, Ninja Giraffe, digiMist, A.E. Snooks, Tigrislupa, BregoArodShadowFax, boriqua522, Fanpire101, theAkuRokuFaNaTiC, Average Everyday Sane Psycho, happinessisHarryPotter, GoldenPetal13, Lady Babette, The Gargoyle, MissMarauder93, KTDLover, cynthiacyvon, kellylouise potter, Call me Mad, pinkvegpixie, Calli Wall, Laurenmlbc, punkballet, jeffandjimmieschick**.

I hope I didn't miss anyone! If so, do forgive me – you know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart:) I less than three you all, guys! ;)

* * *

**That's What Brothers Do**

Finn knew something was up the moment he saw Kurt. He had been waiting for him next to the Navigator as usual after school but after saying goodbye to Blaine at the exit, his stepbrother crossed the parking lot without sparing Finn a single glance. No usual smile or wave, no snappy remark, no nothing.

"Dude?" Finn asked tentatively as the smaller boy approached the car.

Continuing to ignore him, Kurt opened the door, flung his bag into the back seat and ducked inside. When Finn tried to do the same, he found Kurt had locked the door from the inside.

"Dude!" he exclaimed. "What's going on?"

It was the first time Kurt glanced at him and the moment their eyes connected, Finn really wished he hadn't.

He swallowed. "Are you…angry at me or something?"

"Angry? I'm not angry," Kurt said pleasantly, his eyes boring into the taller boy through the windshield. "I'm _furious_."

"Uh, any particular reason?"

"Really, Finn?" Kurt asked, his eyes flaring with anger. "You honestly have no idea why I would be angry with you."

Finn frowned. "I didn't blow anything up recently, stayed away from your stuff, did my chores-"

"And how about attacking my innocent boyfriend in front of the whole Glee club?"

"This is about _Blaine_?" Finn asked incredulously because Kurt didn't seem to have a problem with their…lively exchange earlier. "You didn't say a thing in Glee!"

"I wanted to spare Blaine the sight of me ripping you apart in front of the club," Kurt replied menacingly. "I think he'd had enough of our hospitability and good intentions what with you having already bitten his head off for _backing you up_!"

"Backing me up?" the taller boy said incredulously. "I was trying to give you all a pep talk and he butted in and tried to steal my thunder! Again! I get it that he's new and wants to curry favor with the club but he's not doing it off my back!"

"Steal your thunder?" Kurt repeated, shooting him a look of death. "He was trying to help, Finn! Are you really this blind and clueless or are you trying to set the new world record on being a jerk?"

"Dude, he was out of line!"

"No, _you _were out of line," the countertenor said, his voice dripping icicles. "You've been for quite some time but everyone turns a blind eye because you're Finn Hudson, the Golden Boy," he drawled. "Well, you know what? I'm not going to any more because you don't deserve it. Someone finally needs to tell you what a jerk you've been."

Finn took a step back. "You…think I'm a jerk?"

"You give me all the reason in the world to think so."

"I've done nothing to you, Kurt!"

"No, but you've done plenty to my boyfriend, which is as good as doing it to me!"

"Kurt, don't make it like this," Finn said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "This is between Blaine and me. It has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing-" Kurt repeated in shock, his eyes blazing. "_Nothing_ to do with me? It's got _everything_ to do with me! Blaine's my boyfriend, Finn! I love him and care about him and you've made it your mission to make his life in Glee miserable ever since he first auditioned!"

Finn sputtered, "No…I just…"

Kurt's glare made him trail off.

"I never suspected you of being manipulative and petty, Finn," he said with disappointment.

The taller boy paled, a look of deep hurt flashing across his face and lodging in his eyes, and normally that would have stopped Kurt and sent him hugging the other boy but not today. Today proved to be too much. He had been holding back way too long in the hope of Finn seeing the wrongness of his ways on his own but all it did was make the situation worse. It was time for tough love and Finn needed to get a piece of his mind.

"I don't know what's going through your head or what's going on with you because you won't talk to me," there was a trace of hurt in his voice now but it was soon overrun by anger, "-but I know it needs to stop. You need to stop and get over yourself, Finn, because this has gone on long enough. I know you don't care about me or my feelings, you've proven it this week, but at least try to care about something, like yourself for example, because if you continue like this, you're going to end up bitter and alone."

Throughout Kurt's rant, Finn remained silent because his words hit too close to home but he couldn't leave his last words like that.

"What? You know I care about you!" he said, his eyes flaring with indignation. "Like, there's no other dude I care so much about!"

Kurt's expression remained stern. "If you did, you'd think before attacking the guy I'm in love with!" he countered. "You'd consider how I might feel watching two people I love fight and hate on each other!" he said wrathfully and by the time he had finished, there were tears streaming down his face.

All color had drained out of Finn's face. "Kurt, I didn't think-"

"Yeah, that's just it, you didn't think! You don't ever think any more! What's happened to you, Finn?" Kurt asked, his voice shaking with emotion. "I always had you for the sweetest, most selfless and big-hearted guy I know and now it's like you're doing everything in your power to prove me wrong!"

Finn lowered his gaze. "Nothing," he finally mumbled. "Nothing happened."

Kurt threw up his hands. "Nothing? Really? That's what you're going with?" he snapped. He was positively shaking with anger.

Finn refused to reply and stubbornly continued staring down. He was feeling too ashamed and angry to look Kurt in the eye. He didn't really know what was going on with him apart from the fact that whenever Blaine was in the room, sitting next to Kurt and being all supportive and in love, or singing his cute pop songs that made all the girls swoon, or having good ideas Finn hadn't thought of, he felt like ripping Blaine's head off and using it for football practice. He knew it wasn't cool and it wasn't fair but he couldn't help it. It was like when he saw Blaine, he became this other person. He realized he really didn't like that person – the green-eyed monster consumed by his own insecurities and fears, who took it out on others. With a startled intake of air, he looked up with an intent to at least try and explain some of it only to realize it was too late.

Kurt's normally expressive face looked like it was set in stone and when he spoke, his tone was flat. "Fine. But if you don't trust me, you're sure as hell not driving with me," he threw and drove off, leaving Finn alone in the parking lot.

He looked after him, realizing two things. First that Kurt seemed more hurt than angry and it was even worse, and second that he'd left his backpack in the Navigator before Glee and that it was still there, which meant he didn't have any money, his phone or keys on him.

And then it started to rain.

**XxXxXxX**

When Finn got home an hour later, he was drenched, hungry and dead tired. There was a light on in the kitchen and the living room but only the Navigator was parked in front of the house, which meant the parents weren't home yet. All the better.

He snuck through one of the windows in the living room, which he secretly always left open in case he forgot his house keys (which did happen) and looked around for Kurt. There was music coming from the kitchen so he figured his brother was there preparing dinner.

He peeked through the doorway. Kurt was standing with his back to him, stirring something in a huge bowl and belting out West Side Story, which Finn knew because Kurt had been torturing him with it ever since he got cast in the musical.

He snuck further in and stood behind Kurt. He held his drenched jacket up and wrung it straight over his brother's head in one swift movement. Kurt screeched like a banshee and whirred around, using the plastic bowl in his grasp as a projectile. It flew past Finn's head and the dough inside landed straight in his face.

"Finn?" Kurt uttered after a moment of stunned silence, forgetting all about his soaked hair as he watched their today's dinner drip down his brother's face.

"Yeah. Hi to you, too," Finn replied, wiping the dough out of his eyes.

"Oh God, I'm sorry!" the smaller teen said apologetically, covering his mouth with his hands. "But what were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that? I almost got a heart attack!"

"I can be a sneaky ninja, too!"

"Yeah, and look where it got you," Kurt replied, raising an eyebrow as some more dough dripped off Finn onto the floor.

"Well, I guess I should be happy you weren't holding a knife."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "And what's with the water on my head?" he asked, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. "Are you suicidal?"

"Dude, you totally deserved it! You left me to walk home in the rain!" Finn said reproachfully. "Not cool!"

"You know what's not cool? Acting like a grade A d-bag," the smaller boy retorted, looking unrepentant. "You deserved it and you know it."

Finn's angry expression melted into remorse and unease. He had lots of time to think about Kurt's words on his way home and he knew the other boy was right. For all the harsh words, Finn appreciated the tongue lashing for what it was – a clear sign that Kurt may hate him but he also cared about him. Among all his friends and buddies, he was the only one who dared to call him out on his behavior and tell him off to his face.

"Yeah, I guess I did," he concurred, his voice small.

Kurt's expression softened. He sighed, knowing he couldn't stay mad at Finn for long, no matter how much he tried to. He meant it when he'd said that Finn was the sweetest, most selfless and big-hearted guy he knew. When he wasn't being a jerk, that is. Or covered in pancake dough.

"And, uh, I thought about what you said," Finn continued. "I'm a selfish jerk and I'm jealous of Blaine," he admitted and it was one of the hardest things he had to do in quite a while but it also felt like a burden was lifted off his shoulders.

Kurt blinked. He really wasn't expecting the other boy to be so upfront and sincere when he had been nothing but secretive and introverted as of late. Not to mention that admitting aloud you were a jerk was kinda a big thing in itself.

"I…I'm sorry for being such a disappointment, Kurt," Finn said ruefully, his teeth beginning to chatter. With everything going on, he'd forgotten he was standing there drenched in rain and dough but now that the adrenaline was ebbing away, he was starting to feel the cold starting to seep into his very bones.

Kurt didn't even try to hide his softening expression this time. "Sweetie, you're not a disappointment." He assured him. "But before we continue this, let's get you cleaned up and dry because I don't want you to get pneumonia and die before you can say all you want to say," he said with a small smile. "And also I find it increasingly hard to keep a straight face with you looking like the Creature From The Pancake Lagoon."

Finn nodded and let himself be ushered to the bathroom, where Kurt unceremoniously stuck his head under the shower and turned the water on, washing the dough away with surprisingly gentle fingers. Finn had to stop himself from purring because it was actually really pleasant once the warmth started seeping into his scalp, and Kurt was a pro (Finn guessed years of washing slushies out of your hair would do that). When the smaller boy was satisfied with the state of his hair, he sat him on the edge of the tub and proceeded to dry his hair with a towel. When he was done, he moved away and dried his own hair.

"Thanks," Finn smiled up at him, wiping his face dry with his towel. "This was awesome. I didn't know you could wash hair like that!"

"You're welcome." The countertenor narrowed his eyes at him. "But don't get used to it, this was a one-time act of brotherly kindness because I simply can't say no to your puppy-dog eyes."

Finn grinned.

Kurt tried to stop smiling, but it was a losing battle. "I'm still mad at you, you know," he said, putting his towel away.

"You think you'll be mad for long?"

"That is up to you."

Finn sighed. Kurt really wasn't making this easier for him. "I shouldn't have snapped at Blaine when he was trying to help. That was a dick move and I'm not proud of it." He ran a hand through his disarray of dark hair in an attempt to gather his scattered thoughts. "I deserved the riot act, the rain and the dough in the eye."

"That you did."

"It's just…I know I should be a better person but it's so hard sometimes," he admitted slowly. His brain was still kind of doing loops and corkscrews around everything Kurt had said to him. "I don't have much going for me, Kurt, and I don't know what's going to happen with me. And it's frigging scary. You're like, super-smart and talented – even if you don't get into your first-choice college, you'll get into your second or third choice no problem. But me? What school will have the quarterback of a team that mostly loses, who's also the lead of a show choir that ranked 17th at nationals and probably won't even get there this year, and who gets mediocre grades?"

"Finn, that's not-"

He raised his hand to stop him. He had to get it all out before he chickened out again. "But that's kinda ok, you know. I've already gotten used to the thought that I'm a Lima Loser," he said with a rueful smile. "What's killing me is the thought that because of this, this is probably the last year you and I will ever spend together as family. I know you think I don't care about you but I really do, man." He was quiet for a long moment. "I always wanted a brother but I never thought I'd get one."

Kurt sucked in a deep breath. "It's one of those moments when you disarm me with your charming yet corny confessions and make me cry, isn't it?"

Finn gave him a small smile before continuing. "If Mom was going to marry anyone, I'm glad it was Burt. If anyone was going to be my brother, I'm very glad I got you, man. You make a better person, whether I want it or not. So I'm really sorry for today."

"Yeah, it's that moment," Kurt sniffled, letting tears stream down his face.

"So, do we hug now?" Finn asked, feeling he was on the verge of tears himself.

"I think we're too inhibited."

"Screw inhibited," Finn decided and pulled Kurt against his chest, enveloping him in a fierce hug because that's what brothers did.

**XxXxXxX**

Everything went back to normal for about a day and a half until Finn didn't screw up again by calling Brittany an idiot to her face. All he wanted was to stop New Directions from falling apart. With Rachel busy with the musical and her campaign, he felt it was up to him as the co-captain to keep them together but his big mouth got the better of him and he'd gone too far again.

So when he walked down for breakfast the next morning, he had a guilty conscience and was prepared for another tongue-lashing, but as he strolled into the kitchen, Kurt didn't even seem to notice him, silently sitting alone at the kitchen table over a bowl of milk. He was either deep in his own thoughts or evaluating the kitchen curtains, Finn couldn't tell which. He decided to let him be and went for the bacon.

When he sat opposite him, the smaller boy let out a sigh. Finn frowned.

"Um," he uttered hesitantly. "Did you just eat a bowl of Depressi-O's or something, dude?"

Kurt looked up at him. "I spoke with Dad."

"And…it was depressing?"

Kurt snorted. "No. More like shocking. He's going to run for Congress against Coach Sylvester. I'm to be his campaign manager."

Finn blinked, forgetting all about his foul mood. "That's so _awesome_!" he exclaimed. "Clash of the Titans is nothing!" His eyes lit up. "Will we, like, get to move to Washington and drive around in limos and all?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Let's leave that for when and if we win."

"What do you mean, 'if'? Burt's like, the coolest and most impressive guy I know! Of course he's gonna win!"

Kurt sighed again, moving his cereal around in his bowl. "And that's what worries me."

Finn furrowed his eyebrows, not really getting what was the problem.

"He almost _died_, Finn," Kurt said emphatically, the very words still making him cringe. "His heart is still weak and will probably never get back to full health. I'm scared about him every hour of every day and I honestly don't think he's ready for the trials and tribulations of a campaign, let alone moving to Washington and starting a career in politics."

"Dude, Burt's a really strong guy," Finn said with conviction. "He'll be just fine. And he's also really smart so if he decided to do this, he must have thought it out really well. He knows what he's doing."

Kurt gave him the side-eye.

"Come on, cheer up!" he said, punching him in the arm. "It's gonna be ok, you'll see!"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "How is punching me in the arm meant to cheer me up?"

Finn shrugged. "It works with the guys on the football team."

"Well, they're thick, aren't they?"

"Hey, _I'm_ on the team!"

"There you go then," Kurt replied with a wry smile.

Finn punched him in the arm again, grinning when he elicited an indignant yelp from his brother, and dug into his bacon. Kurt huffed and puffed a while more but finally let it go and focused on his own breakfast (if you could call half a grapefruit, some bran flakes and coffee breakfast – Finn didn't). When Finn's first hunger was satisfied, he looked at his stepbrother curiously.

"So, um, you speak to Britt or Santana lately?" he asked innocently.

Kurt looked at him suspiciously. "No," he replied slowly. "Ever since they defected to Miss Corcoran, I haven't had a word with them. Why?"

"Nothing, just curious," he said with a shrug, trying to sound casual. "How about Mercedes?"

Kurt put his spoon down. "That's it. What's this about?"

"Doesn't matter," Finn backtracked. "Forget I ever spoke."

"You're not getting rid of me this easy, Finn Hudson," Kurt announced decidedly. "What did you do and why do I have a feeling it has something to do with Britt and Santana leaving New Directions?"

The taller boy sighed, biting his lip. He knew resistance was futile. "I…kinda called Britt an idiot to her face."

"You did _what_?" Kurt goggled at him.

Finn fiddled with his thumbs nervously. "I was begging her to stay but she said she had to leave because of a leprechaun wish. That made me kinda blow up and I told her leprechauns aren't real, neither is Santa, and she should grow up and stop being such an idiot."

Kurt blinked. "You called Britt an idiot," he repeated slowly, not believing his ears. "Right after telling her Santa wasn't real." He stared him down. "Grinch much, Finn?"

The taller boy shifted awkwardly. "I know I messed up- where are you going?"

"To whip up a bowl of pancake dough."

Finn looked at him suspiciously. "But…we already had breakfast," he pointed out.

"Oh, it's not for breakfast," Kurt replied pleasantly. "It's for dumping it on your head because apparently one _isn't enough to get through to your thick skull_."

"Dude, I'm gonna go and apologize today after their rehearsal!" Finn said. "And don't worry about tearing me a new one, Santana's got that covered," he added.

Kurt sat back down, folding his hands on the table. "Now I'm starting to feel sorry for you."

"Does she really have razor blades in her hair?" Finn asked weakly.

The smaller boy smirked. "I guess you'll find out soon enough."

"Gee, thanks for making me feel better!" the quarterback said sardonically.

"You're welcome." Kurt smiled at him innocently. "That's what brothers do."

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt wearily dragged himself through the front door of the Hudmel household. He'd spent the afternoon rehearsing with Blaine and he was positively exhausted. He took off his coat and boots on autopilot, his mind wandering back to today's Glee and their newest member.

On one hand, they were three members short so anyone who willingly wanted to be in Glee was welcome but on the other hand, the leprechaun was really good and those high notes he hit…it was at least glare-worthy. This used to be Kurt's domain, something only he could do and now out of the blue he had competition.

Still, he couldn't hold it against Finn, he had been so happy that after a week of failures, he finally did something _right_ for the New Directions. Also, Kurt had it on good authority that right before Glee, Finn had singlehandedly stood up to a bunch of puck heads who were bullying the Irish. Kurt liked to think it was his influence but he knew Finn had it in him all the time, he just needed a push in the right direction. Rory seemed to give him that push and that was enough in Kurt's book to grant the Irish, albeit grudgingly, a chance. For Finn's sake.

_Speak of the devil_, Kurt thought wryly going up the stairs and hearing a commotion coming from his brother's room. It was nothing unusual and Kurt would have chalked it up to Xbox had it not been for the pained grunt that followed. The door was open and he peered inside.

The room looked like Finn had been testing home-made bombs in it, which was pretty much like it always did. The owner himself was nowhere to be seen.

"Finn?" Kurt called. "You okay?"

"Not really," came a pained reply.

The smaller boy ventured further inside and noticed the tip of Finn's head poking from under a heap of blankets on the bed. "What's the matter?"

"I took a nasty fall during football and I did something to my spine," Finn said. "It didn't hurt that much until I lay down. Now I can't move."

"That's what happens when you oh-co-cleverly use your back to break your falls," Kurt reprimanded but his mind was already working furiously on ways to help his brother.

"You're funny," Finn muttered humorlessly from under the pillows.

"Well, at least it's nothing really serious, or you'd writhing in pain right now," Kurt decided coming closer. "I've seen enough Cheerio trainings to know a serious injury when I see one."

"That's what the Coach and the nurse said, too. I just need to take it easy a couple of days and I'll be fine," Finn said before his face contorted in pain again. "But it hurts, Kurt."

"I know it does," the countertenor said, giving him a sympathetic glance. "Let me see what I can do about it," he added and left.

He came back ten minutes later with a tube of warming ointment, Tylenol and a glass of water. He perched on the side of the bed and handed Finn the pill and the water. Once the taller boy downed it, Kurt pulled Finn's blankets aside.

"Dude!" he yelped in protest.

"Don't be such a baby, Finn," Kurt huffed. "This will make you better, just show me exactly where it hurts," he ordered, unscrewing the small tube.

"I'm such a moron," Finn muttered in between painful moans as Kurt massaged the ointment into his back.

"Oh? What brought on this sudden epiphany?"

Finn rolled his eyes but he found he appreciated the teasing – it took his mind off the pain.

"It wasn't any epininny," he said and Kurt let out a short laugh. "It's a fact. I mean, I've got this interview with a football recruiter in a couple of days," he explained, "-and I go and get myself paralyzed during a stupid, meaningless training."

"First of all, you're not _paralyzed_, you hypochondriac-"

"Hey, I…I've got nice, warm body temperature!"

"That's hypo_thermic_, Finn," Kurt corrected with an eye roll. Finished with the ointment, he wiped his hands on a tissue and sunk deeper onto Finn's bed. "A hypochondriac is someone who excessively fusses over their own health."

"I don't _excessively fuss_, Mr. Encyclopedia."

"Yes, you do," Kurt countered, breaking into a wry smile. "And I think you mean 'dictionary', Finn."

The taller boy gave him the evil eye and muttered something about snotty wise-asses. Kurt couldn't help but let out the chuckle bubbling in his chest.

"You'll be right as rain in a matter of hours," he consoled him, running his hand through Finn's hair. "And the fact that you always give the team everything you have? It doesn't make you a moron, Finn, it makes you great," he went on to reassure him. "Even if it's ill-conceived, you're incredibly well-intentioned and want what's best for us."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I really do. I know I messed up big time this week but I really wanted to help. I mean, I owe Glee so much – you, Rachel, the fact that I can now dance without killing anyone – and now it's falling apart before our eyes. I couldn't just stand by and watch. I know I lost us Britt and Santana-"

"Well, you did get us a leprechaun instead," Kurt deadpanned, nudging him in the side softly. "That counts for something," he added wryly. "Besides, Santana would have left anyway, and she'd have moved heaven and earth to take Britt with her so I don't really think it was your fault, Finn. You were an ass to blow up at Britt the way you did but you didn't make her leave."

"So, to sum up…I'm an ass."

"Yes, but a well-intentioned one."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Like there's a difference."

"A whole _world_ of difference." Kurt lifted the corner of his mouth in a small lop-sided smile. "Because that's what Glee is all about, Finn. It's about trying your best and being your better self. You really struggled this week but in the end, you came through. I'm proud of you," he declared, brushing a kiss over Finn's forehead. "Just promise me it will last longer than till next Glee."

"It will," the taller boy vowed. "But does it mean I can't snap at Blaine?"

Kurt flicked him over the back of his head. "I hope this answers your question," he replied. "And if it doesn't, next time I'll be using my sai swords," he threatened but Finn wasn't really listening as he suddenly sat up.

"Dude, my back doesn't hurt anymore!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "It's like magic! You magically fixed it!"

"It wasn't magic," Kurt replied. "It's called Tylenol."

"You and me have different definitions of the word."

"Yeah. You think microwaves are magic."

"Hey, they can make dinner in less than three minutes!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Once again, we have different definitions of the word dinner."

"We're never going to agree on this, are we?"

"No," the countertenor agreed brightly. "But that's the beauty of us," he added with a genuine smile that Finn reciprocated.

"Yeah, man." He nodded. "I mean, we may not agree on the small stuff but when it comes to really important things, we're completely alike, right?"

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Finn Hudson," Kurt said, a grin creeping onto his face. "Does being injured somehow make you smarter? Because I'll remember that the next time you're acting like an ass."

"You're not letting this go any time soon, are you?" Finn asked with a groan.

"No," Kurt replied cheerfully. "Now go to sleep or you'll be a bear in the morning," he added and rolled off the bed.

"Don't go," Finn asked, his hand shooting up from under the covers to grasp the other teen's wrist. "Can you just…stay with me until I fall asleep?" he pleaded and Kurt was struck by just how lost and vulnerable Finn seemed. They may end up watching TV tangled together or fall asleep mid-conversation on someone's bed but actually asking was a totally different matter.

"Of course," he said softly and sat back, propping himself against the headboard.

Finn's head landed on his shoulder and the taller boy sighed contentedly. Kurt's hand wandered to stroke his hair absent-mindedly as he mulled over ways he could help Finn find something tfhat was his and his only because he believed that lay at the heart of all his problems and issues this year. Everyone had something gofing for them, they all had dreams and goals, they were going places. Everyone except Finn. And Kurt just wouldn't have it.

He looked down at his brother's sleeping face, knowing he would do anything humanly possible to make him happy. Then he withdrew a Sharpie from his pocket and gave the other boy a curly moustache.

It was simply what brothers did.

* * *

I hope you liked this, guys! I enjoyed the episode (go Papa Hummel! Carole is alive and looking fabulous! Kurt, his Sound of Music outfit, and his glares when the leprechaun hit those high notes – priceless.) but it was so all over the place it was hard to come up with one single thread I could go with so I decided to have this chapter a bit all over the place, too;) I hope it worked for you!

Until next chapter!


	51. 3x05: Hyper Highs and Lima Lows

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **More than ever, I'm sure that Glee's in the right hands.

**A/N:** I thought I'd never get this one out! I'm sorry for the delay but my computer went on strike this weekend:/ I hope you like this enough to forgive me!

**A/N2:** 'First Time'. What can I say? The hype was true, it really was one of the best Glee episodes yet. I thought it was beautifully shot, as well as brilliantly written and acted. And the storylines were pure Glee – tear-jerking, jaw-dropping, smile-inducing and smart:) The episode proved that Glee can still bring it if it wants:) And reminded me why I love this show so much. And why Chris Colfer needs to get an Emmy, like really.

Ok, now that I've gushed enough, I hope you'll enjoy my Furt spin on it:)

* * *

**Hyper Highs And Lima Lows**

"Dude, your phone's ringing," Puck whispered, flashing Kurt a quizzical glance.

Kurt gave him the side-eye and turned back to watch the rehearsal. They were in the right wing of the stage and it gave him a perfect view of Blaine, who was currently killing 'Something's Coming'.

"For, like, the fifth time," Puck added pointedly.

"I'll take it in a moment," Kurt hissed, his glance glued to his boyfriend.

"You said that the last five times," Artie countered from Kurt's other side.

"One. Minute. Guys," the countertenor enunciated. "You're going to distract Blaine."

"If there's something distracting him, it's the incessant sound of your phone, Kurt," Artie pointed out. Kurt was already opening his mouth to retort but the boy in the wheelchair raised a warning hand. "Don't make me give you the director 'tude, Krupke."

Kurt rolled his eyes but reached for his phone. Seeing the caller ID, he frowned. Then he glanced back at Puck and Artie, who were eyeing him expectantly, and he turned around to answer the phone.

"Um, hello?" came from the other end.

"Don't you 'hello' me, Finn Hudson," Kurt hissed into the phone. "What's going on? You know I'm in dress rehearsal and as I recall I strictly forbid you to call me unless the house was burning. So I better hear some sirens soon."

Standing a couple of feet away, Puck and Artie exchanged amused glances. Their expressions sobered once they heard Kurt utter in genuine horror, "What? _Where_?". And then he was jumping off the stage.

"I'll be there in ten!" he said into the phone, rushing off towards the exit.

"Kurt, you're _coming up_ in ten!" Artie called after him. "As in _on the stage_! Where do you think you're going?"

"It's an emergency!" Kurt threw over his shoulder, disappearing behind the door.

"That house better be burning!" Artie said darkly after him and glanced up at Puck, who was trying to hide a smirk.

"Wipe that smug expression off your face, Puckerman," he snapped. "You're stepping in for him," he added categorically.

Puck's face fell.

Artie grinned. "Now that's more like it."

**XxXxXxX**

"Finn!" Kurt called in panic, bolting down the stairs into the Hudmel house basement. "Finn, where are you?" he yelled as he frantically looked around, straining his eyes to pierce the dimness in the room.

"Here!" came a disembodied voice from somewhere to his left.

Kurt blindly groped for the light switch. Having found it, he flicked the light on and whirred around, taking in the sight before him with wide eyes. Any snarky comments or angry reproofs he might have had died on his lips.

"Oh God, Finn!" he exclaimed, rushing over to where his brother was lying under a heap of crates with only his feet visible from under the mess.

A weak grunt came from under the heap and Kurt dropped to his knees before Finn, not caring he was polishing the basement floor with a 400 dollar pair of Versace jeans. He'd freak out over it later. Right now there were other more _freak-out-worthy_ things.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, all blood draining from his face.

"I…I'm fine," came a stuttered reply. "I'm just stuck. Can you get me out?"

Kurt considered the heap in front of him and got back to his feet. "I'll try."

"But watch out for my drums!"

Kurt rolled his eyes at Finn before realizing the other boy couldn't see it. Still, it made him feel better. "Yes, because you may be injured under a heap of heavy objects but I should first and foremost take care of that abomination you call an instrument," he drawled. "It's encouraging to know you know your priorities."

"Dude, do you know how much they _cost_?"

Kurt shook his head but went on to moving the boxes without another word. They weren't this heavy, mostly some old car parts and flotsam and jetsam left from the move but Finn managed to lodge himself under almost all of it and Kurt could see how it was impossible for him to get out on his own. After several minutes of silent work, he was all sweaty and covered in dust but he could at least see Finn at the very bottom. He sighed in relief and wiped his clammy forehead with the back of his hand.

"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Kurt nodded. "In that case-" he said and reached into the back pocket of his jeans for his phone. "Just one shot." He smiled evilly and snapped a photo.

"Not funny, dude!" Finn protested and tried to get up but one of his legs was still trapped and he lost balance, falling back onto his behind.

"Well, it's a little funny, you have to admit," Kurt said with a chuckle as he pocketed his phone and moved the last box holding Finn down. He reached out a hand and the other boy took it with a pout. Kurt gave him a scrutinizing gaze. "Why didn't you just call the shop? It's much closer than McKinley and Dad's there right now. He'd have been here in no time."

"I…don't know," Finn admitted, pushing a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Haven't thought of that, I just…thought of you."

Kurt tried to hide a soft smile fighting its way onto his lips but failed. "Will you stop with the brotherly adorableness? I can't bite your head off when you say things like that."

Finn grinned at him.

The smaller boy rolled his eyes. "And I really _want_ to bite your head off," he said, emphasizing his point by putting his hands on his hips. "You called me out in the middle of dress rehearsal, Finn. I didn't get to play my part, I missed most of Blaine's performance and Artie's probably devising very elaborate ways of skinning me alive."

"Um, sorry?" Finn offered meekly. "You'll see Blaine perform on the opening night, though, right? And don't worry, I'll protect you from Artie."

The smaller teen huffed. "You'd better focus on protecting _yourself_ from _me_," he said menacingly and glanced around the basement, which was thrashed and it wasn't just the boxes. It looked like a tropical storm swept through it. Twice.

"What happened here?" he asked, grinding his teeth when he saw his last-season clothes he'd put away for storage strewn around like cheap rags.

"Uh, nothing?" Finn tried.

Kurt glared at him. "I'm sweaty, I'm covered in dust and I'm angry so you'd better not try my patience, Finn Hudson."

Finn swallowed. "I was looking for candle sticks."

"And you had to turn the whole basement upside down? These-" he pointed an accusatory finger to his left, "-are state-of-the-art, five-hundred-dollar-worth slacks!" He gasped. "And that's my favorite McQueen sweater lying on that greasy, old car battery!" He looked back at Finn with a murderous gaze. "I swear, you're like a trained ape! Only without the training!"

Finn looked back at him, unfazed by his glare. "Dude, if they're worth so much, why do you keep them in the basement?"

"They're last season," Kurt said as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. "And that's not the point. The point is, why the hell you would need candle sticks and what made you think they're in the basement."

Finn shoved his hands into his pockets. "Um, I couldn't find them anywhere else."

"Did you try, oh, I don't know, _the silver cabinet_?"

"The what?"

Kurt took a deep breath and counted to ten. Then he started up the stairs with Finn in his wake. He stopped in front of a cabinet in the leaving room and reached inside, taking out two silver candle sticks.

Finn reached his hands out to take them but Kurt held them close to his chest. "You're going to clean up the mess you made in the basement?" he asked suspiciously.

The taller boy rolled his eyes. "Of course, dude. Burt would have my skin for a new cap if I didn't. First thing after I finish the pound cake," he promised. "Now give me the candlesticks."

Kurt blinked. "I'm not sure I heard you right. Pound cake?"

"Yeah."

"Let's forget for a moment that you can't cook and are _banned from the kitchen_ because I first need to ask you what the hell is going on!"

Finn shrugged. "Rach is coming over."

"But why are you cooking?"

"Rach is coming over."

Kurt huffed. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Rach is coming over and I'm cooking for her!"

The smaller boy goggled at him. "What? _Why_? You want to poison her?"

"Dude, I can make a damn good cake!" Finn protested, his tone hurt.

"Good for what? Quick and painful death?"

Finn scowled and using Kurt's bewilderment, snatched the candle sticks from his grasp. "Thanks for these and for getting me out from the basement," he said in a hurt tone. "You can go now."

Kurt scoffed. "And leave you in the kitchen unsupervised? No way."

The taller boy rolled his eyes and headed for the kitchen with Kurt following close behind. His jaw dropped when he took in the sight before him. The kitchen was perfectly clean, there was something cooking on the stove and the ingredients for a pound cake were laid out neatly on the table. Finn consulted a scrap of paper he took out of his pocket and went on to whip up egg whites. Kurt stared.

"Who are you and what have you done with Finn Hudson?" he finally uttered.

Finn smiled. "Mom set everything up before leaving for work and she left me step-by-step instructions," he explained, waving the scrap of paper. "I told you I can do it."

"While I'm still far from convinced, I have to say I'm impressed," Kurt admitted, leaning against the doorframe. "So, what's the occasion?" he asked casually.

"No occasion," Finn replied evenly but by the way he turned his gaze down, Kurt knew something was up.

"Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Finn quirked an eyebrow.

"Ok, maybe Blaine," the countertenor conceded. "But he already knows you wore a red shower curtain dress complete with make-up and glitter. What can be worse than that?"

"Dude, you _told_ him that?"

Kurt shrugged. "I tell him everything. And that's not the point. So?"

Finn sighed. "It's Rachel. She said she's…ready."

"Ready? For what?" Kurt said with a frown and then it dawned on him. "Oh. Oooooh," he said, eyes widenind in understanding.

"Yeah," Finn said going purple and went back to whipping the eggs. "You got it out of me, you can go tell Blaine now."

Kurt shot him an incredulous glance. "Sweetie, I'm not going to tell him _anything _about this unless you want me to. That's…that's private, between you and Rachel."

Finn looked up at him. "Really?"

"Of course. I'm kinda honored you trust me enough to tell me. I'm not going to betray that trust. And it's a really big step. I'm happy for you," he finished with a smile.

The taller boy returned the smile. "I love her but I'm really nervous. I mean, my first time was so crappy and it's gonna stay with me forever. So, I want to make everything perfect for her, you know."

"That's very sweet of you, Finn," Kurt decided. Then he started rolling up his sleeves. "So, how can I help?"

"Dude, you really don't have to!" the taller boy said. "I don't want to mess up your performance and the show! You've got rehearsal, maybe you can still make it back in time."

"Oh, I'm not doing this to help you," the countertenor said wryly. "I just want my kitchen to see another day."

Finn grinned. "You're the best. Even when you're doing your sarcasmy thing," he said. "But seriously, I've got everything covered."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him, crossing his hands. "Really? So you know all about folding cloth napkins, scented candles, setting the dinnerware properly-"

"There's a special way to fold napkins?"

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt slipped through the door, exhausted and feeling like an emotional wreck. It had taken every ounce of his will and strength to not go after Blaine when they left Scandals and the ride back home alone had been the hardest thing he had to do in a long while. But Blaine's behavior had been completely unacceptable and it was the right thing to do. Little as he wanted him to leave, and for all his love for Blaine, Kurt knew he was in the right. He felt like he finally really understood his dad's message of "You matter, don't throw yourself around". It was a painful lesson but he knew he deserved better and he wasn't going to settle for anything less.

_Anything. _He felt a new wave of anger surge through him as he thought of Blaine's conduct the entire evening – abandoning him to dance with that smarmy slimeball who was clearly _not _harmless, getting drunk and most of all, thinking it was ok for their first time to be a sloppy quickie on the back seat of a car, and crushing Kurt's romantic soul in the process. And if that wasn't enough, he guilt-tripped Kurt for saying no and then left him behind, just like that.

Kurt let out a furious growl and kicked the dresser. Hearing a rustling from the couch, he whirred around in shock. It couldn't be Dad or Carole, they were on a two-day canvassing trip up the district, so that only left one person. That, or the old lady from next door that Finn had this irrational fear of, was finally making an appearance. He swallowed and crossed over to the living room to see Finn poke his head from over the backrest and blink at him drowsily.

"Kurt?"

"Yeah," he replied darkly, standing over him. "What are you doing here?" he knew he sounded snappish but in his current frame of mind, he really couldn't help it.

"Dude, you didn't think I'd just go to sleep when you were out alone to a gay bar after curfew, did you?" Finn asked incredulously. Then he lowered his gaze, starting to fidget with his thumbs. "I was waiting here in case you know, you needed some backup or something." He smiled sheepishly but Kurt's expression remained set. "And you took Mom's Volvo. She'd kill me if anything happened to that car."

Kurt didn't smile. He crossed his arms and stared Finn down before saying flatly, "I wasn't alone. I was with Blaine."

"Yeah, cuz he's so big and burly and all," the taller boy shot back with a scoff. "If something came down, _you_ would have to protect _him_."

"I don't need to be protected, Finn! I can take care of myself just fine without you so just drop it."

"Dude, don't bite my head off! I'm sorry for caring, won't do it again!"

Kurt's expression changed and he muttered a repentant 'Sorry' before sinking onto the couch next to Finn. The taller boy let him have his silent moment but remained close by, their knees touching lightly and Kurt took comfort in the closeness, even though he wouldn't admit it.

After a couple of minutes, he felt Finn's gangly arms wind around him and push him up against his chest. He didn't resist, burying his face in Finn's shirt and inhaling the all-too-familiar scent of the other boy. It felt safe and peaceful. Then Finn bent his head and brushed a kiss over his temple.

His heart warming without Kurt really meaning or wanting it to, he pulled back and looked over at his brother. "What was that for?"

Finn shrugged. "You just looked really sad," he explained like it was the most natural thing in the world, for him to be casually affectionate with Kurt.

The countertenor trailed a finger absently along his chin, sighing. "Did I?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah, sometimes when you think really hard about stuff you get this sad look on your face."

Kurt let a small smile ghost over his lips. It was touching to know that Finn paid such close attention to his facial expressions. And rather funny. It still sometimes took Kurt by surprise what a long way his stepbrother had come since they first started spending time in Glee club together. They were as different as two people could be and yet at the end of the day Kurt knew that Finn would be there for him. Always. Just like now.

He shook his head self-deprecatingly and locked gazes with Finn. "I bite your head off, I snap and bitch at you and you hug me. You must be the best brother there ever was, Finn Hudson. Or a masochist."

"I hope you remember that when I tell you about the washing machine incident."

Kurt paled. He had left his newest Balenciaga jeans in the washing machine…

"What incident?" he asked icily.

"Punk'd!" Finn chuckled. "Nothing happened, dude. I promise, I was just teasing." Kurt looked unconvinced so he raised his right hand and declared, "Scout's honor."

"You're not a scout," the smaller boy pointed out, trying to keep the smile off his face.

"Glee honor, then."

"Fine," Kurt conceded, give him a light punch in the arm. "Still, not funny, Finn Hudson."

"Whatever. You totally laughed, dude."

Kurt rolled his eyes but let Finn press him back against his side. They stayed like that for a while until the taller boy started fidgeting.

"So, um, I saw Blaine didn't walk you up…" he began uneasily. "Did you guys have a big fight or something?"

"Big? No," Kurt replied casually. "It was a mega fight."

"Oh. I…I'm sorry."

"No need. I dealt with it." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "But it was hard, Finn. So hard. Blaine's behavior was…unacceptable. And that new Warbler, Sebastian, tried to steal him away and was on my case the entire evening."

Finn straightened up. "You want me to beat him up for you? It's kinda my job to put in place jerks who act up or don't get how awesome you are."

Kurt let out a teary chuckle. "Thank you but no, Knight Finnegan. There will be no beating up."

"You sure?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes." He glanced at Finn, wondering how much he wanted to tell him. The taller boy gave him a timid smile, and his eyes showed nothing but sympathy and concern. Kurt sighed. He could never resist Finn's soulful, puppy-dog face. "And besides, as fun as it would be to see Sebastian beaten up to a pulp, he's not the real problem."

The taller boy furrowed his eyebrows. "Blaine?"

Kurt folded his hands in his lap and focused his gaze on them. "Yeah. Blaine."

"What did he do?" Finn asked quietly but Kurt noticed the way his fists clenched tighter with each word.

"Nothing," he assured him, putting a hand over one of Finn's fists and trying to get him to relax. "He just made me remember that Kurt Hummel is his own person and doesn't settle. He knows what he wants and sticks up for it. I'll never be a gay bar superstar-"

"Dude!" Finn exclaimed in horror.

Kurt stared him down and continued, "I said, I'll _never be a gay bar superstar._ And that's ok because I'm happy with being a hopeless romantic who wants his field of lilacs."

"A what?" Finn blinked. "And why do you need a field of it?"

Kurt blushed a little realizing what he had just almost given away to Finn. He just wasn't ready for that conversation with his stepbrother and doubted he ever would. For once he was actually thankful for Finn's cluelessness.

"Never mind," he said quickly and racked his brain for something to put Finn off scent. His eyes brightened and he shot the other boy a quizzical glance. "And I think you owe me some news. How did dinner with Rachel go? It's been two days and you've been awfully quiet about it."

Finn averted his gaze. "It was great."

"Once more, only with less feeling," Kurt said, arching an eyebrow.

The taller boy shot him an ungrateful glance and pushed a hand through his hair. "I don't wanna talk about it, really."

"What is it? Didn't she like the pound cake?"

"We didn't get to the cake. She left before."

"What do you mean, she left before dessert?" Kurt asked bewildered. "What did you do, Finn? You were both so psyched about it and I personally made sure the décor and dishes were perfect…oh no, you forgot to tell her about the venison stew, didn't you?" he realized, his face falling, and Finn's guilty look said it all. "You fed your vegan girlfriend Bambi," he uttered, not sure if he was more appalled or amused.

"Dude, I couldn't even remember the name of that dish!" the taller boy said defensively. "When I realized it, it was too late anyway so I went with it. She thought it was meat substitute," Finn recounted with a half-smile. Then his face sobered. "Anyways, that's not why she left."

"What was it, then?"

"When we got to the...snuggling part," he stammered, "-she let it slip she just wanted to 'get it over with' so that she could act better," the taller boy said in a choked voice. "It totally gutted me. She tried to apologize but I told her to leave me alone and she drove home."

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry," Kurt said. "But unfortunately, I'm not all that surprised."

"Love sucks," Finn decided, crossing his hands. "And it hurts worse than anything in the entire world."

Kurt sighed. "I know. I guess that's the price for it also being the best feeling in the world."

They sat in silence, with their thoughts somber and hearts half-broken but the comfort of the other sitting a heartbeat away made it better. It was enough.

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt couldn't get the grin off his face. Seriously, it was starting to really annoy him but there was nothing he could do about it. Ever since he left Blaine's, he felt like he was walking on sunshine. Yeah, just like the song. _Gah. I'm turning into a total sap, _he thought wryly as he snuck along the pathway to the Hudmel house. _Finn would be proud. _Thinking of Finn led him to wonder how that interview with the football recruiter went. The other boy had been so excited about it and Kurt wished he'd been there for him, what with the parents away in Tucson for the weekend, but after the opening performance and his talk with Blaine things turned out…differently. He made it a point to ask him the first moment he saw Finn today…which turned out to be a lot sooner than he had expected.

The moment he got to the door and reached out for the doorknob, it moved and the door swung open to reveal Finn. And Rachel. With their tongues down each others' throats.

Once Kurt got over his initial shock, he put on a scowl, grade three. Rachel was still out of his good books for how she had behaved towards Finn earlier. "When you're done with the tonsil hockey, I'd like to go in."

Rachel yelped and pushed Finn away, which made him stumble onto the dresser and knock over Carole's Chinese vase. The three of them stared in horror as it rolled over the edge and fell to the ground with a loud crush.

Kurt crossed his arms and looked at the both of them. "Well, at least this time it's something ugly."

Rachel recovered first but there was still a deep blush on her face when she said a timid 'hi' to him. Then she looked back to Finn, who still seemed to be unable to form a coherent sentence, and smiled. "I'll see you Monday, ok?"

Finn nodded weakly and both boys watched her stroll down the path and drive off. Once she was out of sight, Kurt closed the door and looked back at his stepbrother.

"Having a sleep-over, Finn?" he asked teasingly and was rewarded with a deeper shade of red growing on the other teen's face.

Finn sat down in one of the armchairs in the living room and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. When he finally met Kurt's gaze, his eyes were brimming with so many conflicting emotions that the smaller boy could hardly wrap his head around it. He knew something important had happened…and that he was probably wearing the very same look on his face.

"We did it," he said simply.

Kurt sat down opposite him. "That's- I'm happy for you," he stuttered, not sure what to make of Finn's unreadable expression. "Should I be happy?"

"Yeah. I mean, thanks."

"What's wrong, Finn?" he asked. "You wanted this for so long and I thought you'd be bouncing off the walls and burning the house down, not silently brooding in the living room."

"Everything's fine." The taller boy shook his head, his eyes tinged with slight sadness. "I…I am happy."

"Tell that to the expression on your face," Kurt countered, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It's nothing," Finn said quickly. "I mean it about being happy, Kurt," he emphasized, looking him in the eye. "It was incredible," he added with feeling and it was the first time Kurt saw a spark of excitement in the other boy's eyes. "With Santana, it was just about losing the v-card, you know, but Rachel…" He smiled to himself. "When you're with somebody you love, that's just…it blows your mind away."

Kurt returned the smile because he understood. Oh, how he understood. He was still deep in Blaineville when he realized Finn was speaking again.

"Huh? What?"

Finn gave him a quizzical glance. "I asked: where were _you _the whole night?"

Kurt tried to put on a neutral expression before he spoke. "With Blaine."

"Oh, you had one of your girls-night musical sleepover things again?"

The countertenor's voice was dripping ice when he spoke. "I'm not ten, I don't have _sleepovers_. And it wasn't a _girls night_ because I am clearly _not_ a girl, Finn."

"Dude, I know you're not a girl and you're not ten but that's what you always do with Blaine!" Finn exclaimed defensively.

Kurt crossed his arms. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I- Nothing!" the quarterback stuttered in bewilderment.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "You think I can't do things with my boyfriend other than hold hands and sing show tunes?"

"What? No! I'm sure you do plenty of interesting stuff-" he ploughed on, feeling he was only digging himself a deeper grave, "-mud masks and uh, shopping and…" he trailed off weakly.

Kurt drew his lips in a thin line and his gaze hardened as he looked at the other teen. "So, in a nutshell, you think we're a pair of twelve-year-old girls with the emotional range of tea spoons, who braid each other's hair and make big eyes at each other."

"No way, man!" Finn objected. "Your hair's way too short for braids, even I know that." If looks could kill, Finn would be a miserable pile of ash on the floor right now. "Why are you getting so worked up about this, dude? I didn't mean anything wrong, only that you're the romantic type that holds hands and wants to be serenaded and-"

"I had sex!" Kurt burst out angrily, not being able to stand this any longer. It was enough that Finn thought he was basically a girl with boy parts but that he wasn't mature enough…

Finn blinked and Kurt could almost see the cogs and wheels turning in his head. "What?"

"You heard me," the smaller boy replied, crossing his hands.

The quarterback choked a little. "You're not joking," he said weakly, staring at his brother with wide eyes.

"No," Kurt confirmed and sighed. "And yet you still think I'm some starry-eyed naive school boy who's not mature enough to actually do it, do you?"

"Dude, you're the most mature teen I've ever met!" Finn hedged. "That's why I was so disbelieving!"

"Oh?"

"I mean, it's such a big step that means so much and you're so careful and private and innocent...that's why I never thought you'd um, do the deed in high school," he finished, an interesting shade of red going way up to the tips of his ears.

"I did it exactly because I know how much it means," Kurt replied, relaxing because really, nothing Finn did today could make him angry for long. "When I saw him on that stage yesterday, he took my breath away," he continued, staring absently ahead. "And then he apologized for the bar melt-down and it was the sweetest apology I've ever heard and in one moment, it all clicked. I knew." He turned to meet Finn's gaze. "You know what it's like, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do." The taller boy nodded in understanding. "And uh, I'm really happy for you, too, Kurt."

They sat in silence for a while, each engulfed in their own thoughts until Finn turned towards him with an inquisitive glance.

"So, um, how do you feel?"

Kurt gave him the side-eye. "This is about to get much more awkward, isn't it?"

"I don't think it's possible, dude," Finn replied with a lop-sided smile. "But if you don't want to talk to me about it, it's totally cool."

"You're my brother and one of my closest friends. Why wouldn't I want to talk to you about it?"

Finn's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yes, well, that, plus everyone else is still asleep and you happen to be around," the smaller boy said wryly.

"It's so good to know I mean so much to you," Finn huffed.

Kurt chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately. "It was perfect," he said. "Like nothing I've ever experienced before. And now I feel like I'll never touch the ground again-" he looked at Finn, only to see the other boy was looking ahead with an absent expression on his face. "-because I bought myself a pair of shoes with tiny golden wings that make me float in the air like Peter Pan."

"That's great," the taller boy mumbled.

"Finn." Kurt nudged him in the side.

The other boy's head snapped up. "Huh? What?"

The countertenor narrowed his eyes. "Just because I'm on cloud nine, doesn't mean I don't notice things anymore. What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," the other teen replied quickly. Seeing Kurt wasn't going to back down, he shrugged. "I'm just thinking and stuff. Me and Rachel…it's all I ever wanted and I'm trying to wrap my head around it."

"Extracting any information from you this week is worse than pulling out teeth with bare hands!" Kurt exclaimed in exasperation and gave him a measured glance. "You know you can trust me, Finn," he said, narrowing his eyes. "This has something to do with yesterday, doesn't it? Why did you agree to go the whole way when just a couple of days ago you told Rachel no? What changed?"

Finn stared at him because Kurt was doing it again. He had this ability to see straight into him – he could cut right through all the lies and nonsense Finn would build up around himself, and Kurt could just destroy it, with a look or with a few well-placed words. This talent made him an indispensable friend but sometimes was also incredibly irritating.

"Nothing!" he repeated stubbornly.

"Not going to work, Finn Hudson," Kurt stated. "The sibling/friend thing? It works both ways. So talk to me."

"I don't want to talk about what a complete and utter failure I am, ok!" Finn burst, his voice suddenly choked. He felt angry tears in the corners of his eyes.

Kurt's expression softened as he watched the change in Finn – his suddenly hunched shoulders and his eyes brimming with defeat.

"What happened?" he asked in a stern voice, ready to kill whoever had caused this.

Finn wiped back the tears with the back of his hand and looked away. "The football recruiter happened," he said in an emotionless voice. "He told me I'm not good enough. That I reached my ceiling! I was so stupid! I didn't even take off my uniform cuz I was afraid I'd miss him and he was only after Shane. _Shane! _He didn't even consider me!"

Now he was full-on bawling but he didn't care anymore. Rachel managed to get his mind off of this and made him feel better but now that she was gone, the fear and the feeling of defeat were back with a vengeance, looming over his head like angry harpies.

"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked in anguish. "This was my dream! My only hope to get out of this loser town and be someone and now it's all over! I'll never get out! You and Rachel are both going away and I'll stay here alone. I'll always be a Lima loser!"

"Finn." Kurt said softly, his heart breaking for the other boy. He looked so vulnerable that Kurt could barely stand to look at him. "_Finn_," he repeated more forcefully when there was no response. "Finn!"

"What!"

"Look at me," Kurt ordered. When the other teen refused to, he put his hand under his chin, forcing his head up. "Look. At. Me."

Huffing, Finn finally let their gazes lock.

"You're an idiot," Kurt stated.

Finn glared. "And that's why I don't tell you things."

Undeterred by his expression, the smaller boy stared him down and continued, "But you're also one of the most talented and bravest guys I know. You don't need to leave Lima to be someone because you already are."

"Dude-"

"But I know you will anyway because you're great, Finn. You're unique and special, I wish you could see that more," Kurt continued softly. "You always tell me how much you've changed because of me but I think I never told you how much I've changed because of you," he said and was met with Finn's surprised glance. "You taught me about loyalty and friendship, Finn. You showed me what it means to be brave. I can safely say I'm a better person for knowing you and I'm proud to be your brother," he stated, brushing a soft kiss over his temple. "This isn't the end, Finn. It's just a small bump on the road that will only make you even stronger and better. There are other schools with football teams and other music schools than NYADA, and if that doesn't pan out, you'll find something else and you'll rock at it. I know you will."

Finn sniffled but Kurt was relieved to see at least that broken look that was killing him was gone from the other boy's eyes.

"But without football or Glee…what am I?"

Kurt wrapped his arms around him. "You are my talented, brave, well-meaning brother," he whispered into his ear.

Finn stayed silent for a while. "I think I got snot all over your fancy shirt."

Kurt chuckled and gathered him even closer. "Yup. Definitely my brother."

* * *

So, I hope you liked this! It was quite an emotional journey not only for the boys but for me as well, and I really hope I did good! Drop me a line if you think I did, even if it's just to say 'It was ok.' or 'It didn't suck that bad.' Your feedback is priceless and makes me a better writer!

Hugs and until next chapter!


	52. 3x06: What Comes Around

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Glee's still not mine, nor are Finn or Kurt.

**A/N:** I'm really sorry for going MIA on you these last two weeks, guys, but some personal things came up that shook me and I wasn't in any disposition to write. Thankfully, all's back to okay, great even, now and I hope you'll like this chapter enough to forgive me!

**A/N2:** So. For my usual episode rant. Gosh, I finished watching 'Mash-Off' with a gasp and a look on my face pretty similar to Sugar's…utter shock.

Like Kurt said, I am also a great believer in letting people be who they need to be and moving at their own speed as long as they aren't hurting anyone. Only Santana did. Repeatedly. Finn has been having some serious insecurity issues (football, Glee leadership, NYADA, and we all know how self-conscious he is about his body) and Santana spent much of the episode deliberately seeking to belittle him, and in front of an audience, so I'm not surprised he finally snapped.

The writers have really amped up the unlikeable side of Santana this season and in a way, her outing was going to be anything but happy. Finn as per usual meant well but stepped in it and whilst it was not fair for Santana to be outed the way she was, she did bring this situation down on her head for being an absolute b$$ch to everyone around her and I just can't bring myself to feel sympathy for her, sorry.

**On**** a ****lighter**** note:** Kurt as Yasser Arafat and equestrian Sherlock Holmes…thing. Seriously, was Kurt's fashion sense somehow linked with him being a virgin? That, or Burt has cut down on his Dolce budget since he's running for office. Either way – Glee Costume Department, please stop torturing Chris Colfer and us viewers!

And now, the new chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

**What Comes Around **

Wearing only boxers, Finn sat still, drifting in the inchoate gray space between sleeping and waking. He had been here for the last two hours and he gave up any hope of freeing himself from the cramped, dark space of the pantry.

Resigned, he looked down at his bare feet and shivered, bringing his knees closer to his chest.

"Yeah." He sighed. "That turned out great."

_72 hours earlier…_

Having slipped into the house, Kurt leaned heavily against the door and allowed himself a deep sigh. It had been a long day, and the dodgeball showdown left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. He still couldn't really wrap his head around how a game, silly and brutal, but still a game, turned to real violence and bullying in a matter of seconds. He wasn't naïve or deluded enough to believe that just because people at McKinley lay off him and New Directions (to some extent) the vicious bullying stopped altogether, but he would have never expected Santana, whom he still considered as one of their own, to treat Rory the way she did and lead the rest of the Troubletones to do the same. That wasn't what Mr. Schue had taught them. More importantly, it wasn't _right_. He had honestly thought they were better than that.

The sound of the TV coming from the living room made him step out of his head. Curious, he walked into the room to be met with the sight of Sue Sylvester asking "_Has __Burt __Hummel __married __a __donkey?_" and Finn chucking the remote at the screen with a growl.

Kurt let his messenger bag drop to the floor and crossed the room in three swift strides. He turned the TV off and turned to his stepbrother, who looked like he wasn't done throwing things yet.

"Just leave the Chinese vase alone," he said wryly, aiming at defusing the atmosphere a little because he feared Finn might explode otherwise. "I just managed to replace it after your last stunt."

"That was an accident, dude!" Finn exclaimed indignantly.

The countertenor planted one hand on his hip and regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, so you accidentally tripped and fell straight on Rachel's lips taking the vase with you?"

He was rewarded with a blush creeping onto the other teen's face and he smiled impishly.

"You always come in at the wrong moments," Finn mumbled. "It's like you're doing it on purpose!" he added, shooting Kurt a reproachful gaze.

The smaller boy huffed, dropping into an armchair next to Finn. "Oh, believe me, scarring my retinas with the image of Rachel Berry surgically attached to your face is hardly something I would do on purpose," he retorted. "I think I'd rather shove forks into my eyes," he added thoughtfully.

Finn made a face at him. "Dude, that's gross!"

Kurt shrugged. "You're rubbing off on me."

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "I think I'll treat this as almost a compliment."

"Almost makes a big difference," Kurt shot back.

"Like Coach Sylvester _almost_ saying on TV my Mom's a donkey?" the taller boy asked darkly.

Kurt sighed and patted him gently on the knee. "You shouldn't watch these ads, Finn," he said softly. "They're preposterous but you know the Coach. She'll stop at nothing to win."

"Dude, how can you be so calm about this?" the taller boy asked angrily. "Doesn't it bother you that she's saying Burt has some red-assed monkey's heart?"

"A _baboon_, Finn," Kurt corrected automatically. "Of course it bothers me," he replied. "But destroying household appliances-" he put the TV remote down on the coffee table with a meaningful clang, "-will hardly change anything."

"Yeah, well you don't look very _bothered_," Finn replied, crossing his hands with a pout.

Kurt felt a spark of anger at that. "Just because I don't go around breaking stuff doesn't mean I don't care," he said. "And stop pouting, it makes you look like a carp with indigestion," he snapped.

Finn didn't really know what a _carp_ was but dropped the pout anyway. "I just don't get it, man. You're always the first to tear people's heads off and fight for what you believe in. You're like, fearless. How can you be so calm and Zen master now?"

Kurt sighed, feeling his initial annoyance ebb away. Finn had that effect on him. "Because I know a lost cause when I see one."

The taller boy furrowed his eyebrows.

"I went to the Coach to give her a piece of my mind on her…campaign strategy," Kurt explained with a shrug.

Finn blinked. "You _what_? Are you suicidal?"

The smaller boy let a small, lop-sided smile ghost over his lips at his brother's stupefied expression. "I thought I was fearless."

"You…you are!" the other teen stuttered. "But I didn't really think you'd do it! I was only bluffing and trying to poke the bear and stuff."

"Well, you _poked_ well." Kurt sighed. "It's almost frightening how easy it is for you to throw me off balance, Finn Hudson," he admitted, shaking his head.

Finn grinned. "I'm just cool that way."

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes. "Just remember one day you may go too far, Captain Cool," he said menacingly, only half-joking.

Finn's grin widened, though. "Do I get a cape?"

"And a beautiful white strait-jacket to go with it," Kurt retorted, his stern tone ruined by the glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm not crazy!" the quarterback protested. "I would so make a cool superhero! Like a vigilante, stealthy ninja Superman guy," he said, his eyes lighting up.

Kurt snorted. "Finn, you wouldn't know stealth if it knocked you over and danced on your chest singing 'stealth is back again!'."

The taller boy rolled his eyes. Then he did a double take, giving Kurt an appraising glance. "Hey, you could be my sidekick!" he offered with a grin. "Little K."

Kurt stared at him, his words for once failing him.

"I think I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear this," he said, once he got his voice back. "Besides, I am no one's _sidekick_," he added with a haughty sniff. "And the only _little_ thing here is your pea of a brain."

"But dude, we'd make such a good team!" Finn insisted. "I mean, we're so great as normal kids, do you know how great we'd be as superheroes? Captain Cool and Little K to the rescue."

If Kurt slapped himself on the forehead any harder, he'd give himself a concussion.

"Touching," he said, staring Finn down with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But if you _ever_ call me 'Little K' again, I'm going to eviscerate you with a spoon. Slowly."

"So, no cape?"

"No," Kurt replied curtly. "You'd just trip over it and break your neck anyway. And now, can we please return to the realm of sanity before I start looking for a power tool to chase you around with?"

"Um, sure," Finn replied with a smile. He liked pushing Kurt because his expressions when he was angry were just priceless but he had also learned enough was enough. Either he stopped, or he would really find himself being chased around the house. Or without his hair when he woke up the next day. "So, you really went to the Coach?" he asked instead.

Kurt sighed, grateful that Finn lay off. "Yes. And much good it did me or Dad," he said despondently.

"Hey, you're still alive."

The countertenor shot him a sideways gaze. "Oh, how you always manage to find the bright side."

"Thanks." The sarcasm flew right over Finn's head, as per usual, and he looked at his stepbrother intently. "So, what did she say?"

"That it's not personal," Kurt said bitterly.

"Like hell it isn't!" Finn growled.

Kurt gave him a steady look and continued, "Then she gave me one of the infamous Sue Sylvester life lessons on how winning is all about poo-flinging," he added sardonically with a wince. "And if I want to win the McKinley election, I have to play dirty."

"_Poo-flinging_? Dude, that woman's seriously out of it."

"Be that as it may, she's on the best way to winning," Kurt replied darkly. "So maybe she's not so out of it after all."

"Dude, she's crazy!" Finn protested vehemently. "I mean, she's something new and people dig it cuz it's like she doesn't have this filter and says everything that comes to her mind without caring for anything or anyone. Sure, we'd all like to be like that from time to time but all the time? It's just rude, bullying and offensive, man, and one of these days she'll slip, you'll see. No matter how much…poo she flings," he uttered, having no idea where this speech was coming from but the intent look in Kurt's eyes made him go on. "Dude, I know I'm just a simple-minded jock, but to me, winning an election is about fighting for what you believe in and convincing others about it, not about making everyone else look bad. That's just mean…and sad."

Kurt blinked, once again wondering how Finn managed to hide so much heart and perspicacity under that goofy, clueless front.

"But you already know that, Kurt," the taller boy continued with a smile, pushing a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I mean, you're like, the only candidate who hasn't flung poo, mud, or _anything_ at anyone. You stayed positive and focused on your cause…which is a salad bar at the cafeteria." He winced. "But still. I really admire you for that, dude. It would be so easy to go down the poo-road but you refused to cuz you're much better than that. You always were."

Finn's words and the admiration in his eyes melted Kurt's heart and he smiled at him.

"You really are full of surprises, Finn Hudson," he murmured, brushing a soft kiss over his brother's forehead.

The taller boy stared at him. "What was that for, man?"

"For being there when I need you," Kurt replied softly. "And being more insightful than half of Ohio."

"Dude, I'm not full of insides!" Finn said indignantly. "I mean, I am, but they're all mine!"

"It's such a relief to know you're not some alien cyborg or the Frankenstein monster," Kurt replied with an eye roll.

Finn grinned. "That would be kinda cool."

The smaller boy shook his head, letting out a chuckle. "Never change, Finn Hudson. Never change."

"Cuz you love me just the way I am?" Finn asked with a teasing smile and Kurt flicked him up the head.

"You deserved it," he stated, sitting back down in his armchair and kicking off his boots. He would put them away nicely later but right now he was way too beat to even wiggle his toes. "That dodge ball face-off was a nightmare," he observed, massaging his right foot.

Finn dropped his head. "How's Rory?"

Kurt sighed. "He'll be fine. Nothing a couple of Band Aids and Tylenol can't fix," he said and shot Finn a playful glance. "By the way, I think he has a kind of a weird platonic crush on you," he remarked casually, trying to hide his wry smile. "He kept asking if you were going to come help him change out of his bloody clothes."

Finn felt color rise in his cheeks and cleared his throat in embarrassment. "He's…he's a nice guy and stuff…but he is getting kinda intense."

Kurt nodded. "Just remember he _is_ only fifteen. And compared to the way I was around you at that age…" he didn't finish, the memory still making him cringe and pray for Earth to open up and swallow him whole.

The taller teen smiled at him. "I guess that's why I'm not freaking out. I remember us then and how tight we're right now…" he let his voice trail and Kurt gave him a warm smile. "I really want to help him but he doesn't make it easy for himself, y'know. I mean, he's so different. That's why he fits with us so well but people like Santana, they live off making people like him miserable."

Kurt looked at him in understanding. "You mean people like you?" he asked softly.

Finn met his eyes with a start.

"Yes, I know about the insult match in the corridor. Or rather the insult knock-out," he added with a sympathetic smile. "Rory told me. And I was there to witness a taste of it in the auditorium, remember?"

The taller boy sighed. "I know I shouldn't have raised to the bait. It's just trash talk and Santana does it all the time but the last couple of weeks? She's been really nasty, Kurt." He let his head drop. "And I did nothing to wrong her! I mean, am I really this disgusting?"

Kurt brushed Finn's hair from his forehead in an affectionate gesture. He was fully aware of just how insecure Finn was about his body, and for Santana to use it so mercilessly against him was just vile.

"Of course not, sweetie!" he assured him. "You're…great," he said cautiously, not wanting to make this awkward. "-and as I recall, your girlfriend thinks the same. That's what matters, not some maladjusted, pot-mouthed Cheerio's barbs," he nudged him lightly in the side. "Besides, I'd have never fallen for anyone who was disgusting," he risked adding in hope of making Finn smile. They were long past that stage but still-

His apprehensions were eased when the taller boy smiled at him. "That's actually comforting, dude," he replied. "In a totally non-gay way, of course," he added quickly.

"Of course." Kurt snorted and pecked him on the cheek teasingly. "Totally non-gay."

"Dude!" Finn exclaimed with mock horror and pushed him away, both of them chuckling.

Finn was the first to sober up. He glanced at Kurt apologetically. "I'm sorry about the dodge ball. I know it was a stupid idea but Santana had me cornered and I couldn't think of anything else."

"That's good old Santana for you," Kurt nodded in understanding.

"Only it isn't," Finn replied, his brow furrowed. "I dunno what's going on with her these days but she's become, like, _evil_. It's not just her usual abuse, Kurt. The way she treats Rory, it's bullying of the worst kind. Did you know she told him to go and kill himself last week?"

Kurt felt all blood drain from his face. "I…no. That's just-" he let his voice trail because that brought too many painful, awful memories.

"Yeah, it's like she's the new Karofsky," Finn said with a frown, his hands clenching into fists. "Only worse and meaner cuz she doesn't use fists or slushies but _words_. And it hurts more than any dodgeball in the face," he said soulfully. "I mean, a slushie can be cleaned off and a bruise will heal but you can do nothing about words. They have, like, unlimited shelf life."

Kurt looked at him with sympathy. He knew the place Finn was talking about only too well and he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy. He felt anger rise within him at Santana. Finn was really vulnerable right now – his dreams of playing college football had crashed and burned, New Directions were falling apart, and he was faced with staying behind in Lima when everyone he liked and cared about moved on. It was a really scary place to be, and Santana went there because she could. And because she wanted to. And because she really enjoyed it.

"I know," he finally replied. "And I'm proud of the way you've been taking this."

"Well, I'm not," he replied bitterly. "The dodgeball was _so_ stupid, it was like I gave us all up to Santana on a silver platter…it's my fault Rory got hurt."

"Don't you dare blame this on yourself, Finn," Kurt said vehemently. "It was no one's fault but Santana's."

"But if it hadn't been for me-"

"Stop it, Finn," Kurt cut him off. "Your kindness does you credit but you didn't put that ball in Santana's hand and made her pelt Rory with it until he was bleeding. She did that all by herself. Is that clear?"

"Scary Kurt," Finn said, swallowing.

"I can be a lot scarier," Kurt said in a low voice. "Are we clear?"

Finn gave him a small, grateful smile. "Yeah, we are. I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right, you big lummox," Kurt replied with a huff.

Finn grinned. It never ceased to amaze him that he actually quite liked it when Kurt called him names. To him, it was something _theirs_ and he knew Kurt felt the same way. The teasing and the insults were embedded in the very essence of their relationship, and they served as confirmations that they were in fact so close that such blatant insults like 'lummox' or 'dimwit' didn't hold any meaning. When Kurt called him that, it was almost affectionate. Like the look his stepbrother was giving him now.

"So. I don't want to hear another word about dodge ball, okay?" Kurt said. "By the way, that also entails you _never __ever __again_ choosing it as a way of solving conflict by involving your innocent friends."

"I learned that lesson the hard way," Finn replied, massaging his still sore temple, where a bruise was forming from Santana's hit. Then he met Kurt's eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't tell this to Rachel but I think I've made my mind about who I'm gonna vote for," he said, lowering his voice and looking over his shoulder as if he expected his girlfriend to jump from behind the ficus tree in the corner wielding a pair of shears any moment. He gulped and forced himself to focus back on Kurt. "You'll make a great Senior Class president, man. The way you stood up for Rory, it was really cool. And how even Santana listened to you. You were like Yoda, man. Only taller and with better English."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him, trying to cover up how touched he was by his brother's words. "So I'm on a par with a wrinkled, old lizard? Smooth, Finn."

"Yoda wasn't a lizard!" Finn sputtered. "And what I'm trying to say is that you were really impressive…and that I'm kinda proud I'm your stepbrother, man."

"My _brother_," Kurt corrected him, his eyes turning watery. Collecting himself before Finn noticed exactly _how_ moved he was, he straightened up and crossed his arms. "Besides, someone had to stand up for our leprechaun," he said. "What with you being knocked out by Santana."

Finn shot him a sideways glance. "If you say that a girl beat me, I think I'm gonna strangle you, dude."

Kurt arched an eyebrow. "I think I already did."

"Okay, you asked for it."

The smaller boy was already up and sprinting towards the hallway. "You'll never catch me alive!"

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt watched Santana jump off the stage and yell at Finn in a stupor. He felt for the Latina because it was true what he had said to Karofsky, he didn't believe in outing anyone and what Finn had done was not on. But knowing what he knew, he wasn't really that surprised. Everyone had a breaking point and Santana had enjoyed bringing Finn to his. So it was understandable he finally snapped and did exactly what she did all the time – he found a weak spot and went for the jugular. Still, given that Finn knew and had experienced first and second-hand what happened to gay students in McKinley, he should never-

_Slap._

The sound of Santana's hand colliding with Finn's face had Kurt up and next to the other boy's side, all his doubts temporarily erased because no one, _no__ one_ hit his brother. Rachel seemed to be of similar mind because she threw herself at the Latina.

In the commotion that followed, with Rachel and Santana going at it, and Mr. Schue and Mike trying to separate them, Finn just stood to the side, petrified. He had no idea what had just happened. His face hurt like hell and he felt like he was drowning. Then he registered he wasn't alone. There was someone next to him.

Kurt. His presence was comforting and he felt huge relief when the smaller boy reached up and put a hand on his shoulder. When Finn chanced a glance at him, his stepbrother's eyes weren't filled with hate or disappointment but with concern, mutely asking if he was okay. When Finn nodded, Kurt gave his wrist a gentle squeeze and turned to the commotion, bravely stepping in between both girls.

"Stop it!" he yelled, using all the volume his singer's lungs allowed and to Finn's and everyone else's surprise, they did.

"Rachel, go take care of your boyfriend," Kurt ordered in an imperious manner and she moved away, giving Santana one last look of death. Then he turned to the Latina, his eyes blazing. "And _you_ keep your paws off my brother."

"This has nothing to do with you, ladylips," the black-haired girl growled. "So just walk away while you still have legs."

"You're not going to scare me, Santana," Kurt said, drawing himself up to his full height, chin tilting and attitude rising until he suddenly seemed a good foot taller than he had been a moment before. "I've had to deal with more than enough bullies to know that you're all _cowards_."

There were a couple of startled intakes of breath and Finn readied himself to jump in to protect Kurt from Santana's claws but the girl remained still.

"Well, you can die happy now, fruit pie, cuz I'm about to get a taste of my own medicine then, right?" She laughed bitterly. "Are you happy now that your pet knuckledragger did what you didn't have the warblers to?"

"No," Kurt replied sadly. "I feel sorry for you, Santana, I really do-"

"You can go and shove your sympathy up your-"

Kurt shot her such a crushing look that she trailed off.

"No one should be outed before they're ready, not even bullies," he continued. "Finn behaved badly and I'm not condoning what he did but I won't let you put the blame for this on him, Santana. You brought this on yourself."

Santana eyes flashed dangerously. "You sure you want to go down that path? For _him_?"

"He's my brother," Kurt replied evenly.

The Latina snorted viciously. "Oh? You mean the I'll-let-Karofsky-rearrange-the-lockers-with-Kurt-because-I-can't-be-bothered-to-care brother? The I-can't-be-seen-with-Kurt-cuz-of-my-rep brother?" She laughed bitterly. "You're pathetic, Tim Gunn."

Kurt didn't even bat an eyelid even though it had to hurt. Finn knew it had to. He felt even worse because what Santana said was – had been – true and once again, he was the one giving her ammunition for insults. He tightened his fists and Rachel gave him a concerned look, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

"That's the past," Kurt replied calmly. "We both made mistakes but we learned from them and moved on. Nothing you say will change that so stop turning this around," he stated. "This is not Finn's fault."

"Like hell it isn't! It's all cause this bacon-faced half-witted gorilla couldn't take a bit of truth!"

"Truth?" Kurt asked incredulously. "You call verbal abuse and bullying _truth_?"

Santana shrugged. "Just because I don't sugarcoat it like the rest of you doesn't mean it's any less true!"

Britt took hold of Santana's hand. "I like sugar," she whispered.

The Latina turned her blazing gaze away from Kurt and as her eyes locked with Brittany's, they softened. "I know. We'll get some of that candy corn you like so much later, okay?"

The other cheerleader nodded and seemed to be appeased. Santana turned back to Kurt.

"You," she sneered, giving him a glare so fiery Finn wondered how Kurt's hair didn't go up in flames. "-are even more naïve and stupid than I thought. You're standing up for that moron when all he's done this year is put down your beloved hobbit! Everyone but you sees how jealous orca here is of your midget. Wake up and smell the coffee, Tinkerbell!"

If Finn didn't know Kurt so well, he would have thought Santana's words hadn't affected him at all. He stood proud and confident, his chin jutting out and his gaze steady. Still, he noticed that his face had become slightly paler and he had to curl his fingers into fists to stop them from nervously fidgeting. Kurt truly was the master of hiding away his emotions if he wanted to but Finn simply knew him too well, and to watch him this affected because of what he did, hurt more than a hundred of Santana's slaps.

"No, Santana," Kurt's confident voice brought Finn back into the face-off.

"_You_ wake up," the countertenor said through gritted teeth. "And for once, look at yourself instead of lashing out at others. You can't use the closet as refuge while hurting everyone around you! Your problems are no excuse, we all have our issues but we don't take it out on others and behave like vicious, heartless jerks!"

The silence that followed was deafening. The Latina stood in front of Kurt with her usual defiance but her eyes didn't hold the same fire any more. If anything, they seemed a little broken.

"Some speech, Harvey Milk. You almost made me puke rainbows," she snarled. "But it doesn't make you any less of a loser. Like all of you," she looked around the petrified New Directions daring someone to oppose her. "I've wasted enough of my time on you," she growled and stormed off, taking Brittany with her.

Kurt looked after them, desperately trying not to shake, until he felt Blaine stand next to him and press a kiss to his temple. "You're the bravest guy I know," he whispered. "That was really impressive…and hot," he added with a small smile.

The countertenor felt color rise in his cheeks but he didn't have time to reply because Finn was walking towards them with Rachel.

"Dude, that was awesome!" he exclaimed from a few steps away. "I totally give it up, _you__'__re_ Captain Cool!"

"Captain Cool?" Blaine raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Do I even want to know?"

Kurt sighed. "You really don't," he replied with exasperation an squeezed Blaine's wrist. "I'll talk to you in the evening, okay? Right now I need to have an eye-to-eye with my brother."

"Be merciful," the black-haired boy whispered, as they both watched Finn come up to them.

"Oh, don't worry," Kurt assured him, giving his stepbrother a bright smile. "I'm in a good mood, I'll settle only for maiming."

**XxXxXxX**

For a small person, Kurt could sure move fast and Finn had to really step it up to keep up with him as he crossed the parking lot towards the Navigator. He only chanced a glance at him once they were buckled in and moving, and the frown on Kurt's face made him drop his gaze and stay quiet, however much he wanted to thank him.

"Is it true?" Kurt's voice suddenly cut through the wild swirl of thoughts in his head.

He raised his head, meeting the other boy's eyes in confusion. Kurt drew his lips into an even tighter line.

"What Santana said about you being jealous of Blaine," he supplanted. "Is it true?"

"I'm not-"

"_Please_, for the sake of both my and your time," Kurt cut him off, staring straight ahead with hard eyes, "-tell me the truth the first time around."

Finn dropped his gaze, fiddling with the hem of his jacket. He sighed deeply and knew he could never lie about this after what Kurt had done for him in the auditorium. "I guess…yeah. I am."

Kurt nodded stiffly, still refusing to look at him. Even though he couldn't see his eyes, Finn knew by how tight he squeezed his lips and how white his knuckles on the driving wheel had become that he was angry. Very angry. It wasn't until they had pulled up at the driveway that he spoke again.

"You deliberately shot him down. You snapped at him for no reason."

"I never-"

"No!" Kurt exploded, slamming the driving wheel with both hands. He turned towards Finn, his gaze deadly. "Don't even try to deny it! Goddammit, Finn! I really _am_ naïve, aren't I?" he asked with a bitterness that made Finn's insides constrict painfully. "All this time, I stayed out of it, even though I wanted to rip your tongue out sometimes, because brothers, they don't pick sides when one is feuding with the other's boy/girlfriend. Just like you didn't come in between me and Rachel when she was running against me for class president. That's _loyalty_ and it was you who taught me that!"

"Kurt, you know I'd never-"

"Don't." Kurt raised a warning hand. "I've been putting a blind eye to your behavior because I thought you were just going through a rough patch and needed some time to clean up your act but it's more than that, isn't it? You've changed. You're not the sweet, kind person you used to be."

It was as though Finn's world had caved in on him. The finality and disappointment of Kurt's words cut through him like a knife, and the calm resignation in his tone made his heart clench.

"I…Kurt, I'm still me," he stuttered painfully, and forced himself to look into Kurt's eyes. "Please, you've got to believe it. You've got to believe in _me_ cuz if you don't, I…don't know what I'm gonna do."

"How can I believe in you, Finn?" the smaller boy asked mutely.

Feeling completely useless and helpless, Finn curled his hands into fists. He wanted Kurt to be angry with him, to shout and even punch him, they both knew he wouldn't even try to protect himself and take the punches, insults, _anything_. Anything was better than this resigned disappointment.

"After everything…after how badly you handled Santana this week…I can't believe you any more, Finn."

"But…you stood up for me!" the taller boy mumbled in bewilderment.

"Of course I stood up for you!" Kurt exclaimed angrily. "You're my brother, Finn, and even though I don't like you very much right now, I love you," he continued sadly. "I'll _always_ stand up for you. But that doesn't mean I'm okay with what you did. Far from it!"

"But everyone already knows!"

"That doesn't make it okay, Finn!" Kurt glowered at him. "And you of all people should know that! You know better than most what it's like for gay students in McKinley and that was a line you should have never crossed!"

"I didn't mean to _out_ her," Finn said. "I just spoke to her in the corridor, like she did to me time and time again! It wasn't like I made sure everyone was looking and shouted at the top of my lungs! She viciously tore me down and enjoyed it, and I was just defending myself in the only way I knew."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "So you're saying bad behavior is acceptable as long as the person it happens to is really mean?"

"What? No!" the taller boy objected. "But I just snapped, Kurt. I'm not proud of it but I couldn't take it anymore!"

"You still could have handled it differently."

"Well, not everyone's Saint Kurt!" Finn snapped.

Kurt drew his lips in a thin line, trying to constrain the anger clouding his brain.

"You're certainly not a saint, Finn," he replied after a moment, "but before, you were always the guy who did the right thing. You struggled and fought with yourself but you always came through. I know Santana crossed every imaginable line and more this week…but I thought you could rise above it and be the better man, Finn."

"Kurt…I am." Finn's tone was imploring. "You know I am."

Kurt's eyes flashed when he met his stepbrother's beseeching gaze.

"Prove it," he shot back.

Finn blinked. "H-how?"

"Apologize to Santana. Look out for her."

"What? She'll literally tear me to pieces!"

"Finn. I don't know if you realize how thin the thread our friendship is hanging on has become. If you don't do something…" Kurt's voice trembled and it was the first time Finn saw an emotion that wasn't anger or disappointment in his face. "I need you to do this, Finn," he continued, his tone almost pleading. "I need you to prove to me that you're still the great boy that I was proud to call my brother and friend."

"Kurt, I-" Finn faltered for a while but that was enough. Kurt's expression turned back to stone.

"Fine."

"Kurt!" Finn called after him, grabbing his wrist to stop him from walking away. "Dude, there's gotta be-"

"Your mouth is still moving," Kurt snapped, looking at the other teen's hand around his wrist with such scorn that Finn could almost feel the holes his eyes burned in it. "You might want to look into that."

"_Fine_." Finn let go of his hand, his face contorted in anger, and went around him to the house, not sparing him another glance.

Getting inside, he stormed into his room and angrily threw his clothes off, wanting to get into shower and maybe try to get the grime from today off himself and try to make something of his jumbled thoughts. His stomach, however, had different plans and rumbled in protest just as Finn had stripped to his boxers.

Heaving a sigh, he decided to pop into the kitchen and grab a snack he could maybe eat in the shower (Kurt would kill him if he knew but it wasn't like he wasn't on Kurt's most-hated-persons list anyway so he didn't really care). With that in mind, he padded downstairs into the kitchen, which was thankfully empty. Or so he thought. Because when he stepped into the pantry, there was a loud thud behind him and the next thing he knew, he was engulfed in complete darkness.

_The present…_

"Finn? You ready to come out?"

"Kurt?" Finn called and opened his eyes, his vision blurry. "Is that you?"

"Who else could it be?" came the snarky reply. "Ricky Ricardo?"

"Dude, I have no idea who that is but if you don't let me out, I'm gonna-"

The door swung open before he could finish. He hissed as the light hit his eyes and covered them with his forearm.

Kurt took the miserable sight of his brother curled up into a be-boxered ball on the floor and his heart clenched but he willed it away. They still weren't okay.

"You're free, Willy."

Finn glowered at him and slowly stood up, groaning as his sleeping muscles stretched painfully.

"How long was I in here?" he asked dryly.

"Hopefully long enough," Kurt replied, crossing his hands.

Finn had half a mind to tear Kurt's head off for this stunt but in his heart of hearts, he found he appreciated it for what it was. It was scary to be locked up with only your thoughts when you currently didn't like yourself very much but it made him realize there were still things…people in his life he _did _like and never wanted to lose. But before he told all this to Kurt, he had to know there was still something to fight for. That he hadn't lost his brother completely.

"Dude, I know you hate me but did you really have to be this mean?"

"Hate you?" Kurt asked incredulously. "I _care_ about you, you moron!"

Finn raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, so that's why you locked me up in the pantry in my underwear?"

"Yes," Kurt replied, nonplussed. "That and my perverse joy at seeing you suffer."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Finn," Kurt sighed, dropping his gaze. "Our traditional petty bantering aside, I'm sorry for this but-"

"-you couldn't think of anything else and just snapped?" he finished knowingly and Kurt looked at him in shock. "Yeah. Been there, done that."

Kurt shook his head. "I really am sorry. But you can be such a stubborn oaf sometimes and-"

"I'll do it," Finn declared with a sheepish smile.

The countertenor blinked. "W-what?"

"I'm gonna try and apologize to Santana."

"You…will?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows rising to meet his hairline. "Just like that?"

"I'm still getting payback for this when you least expect it," Finn promised, "but you made me think. Like, _really_ think. And it didn't even hurt."

"Oh?" he asked, a small smile curling his lips upwards. "And what did you think about?"

Finn pushed a hand through his hair, gathering his thoughts. "Losing your friendship and trust…that's much worse than being torn to pieces by Santana," he replied with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm sorry I put you through this and I'm sorry about Blaine. I'll try to do better by him. And I shouldn't have let Santana get to me, even she didn't deserve to be outed like that. I'm sorry."

Kurt threw himself into Finn's chest without so much as a warning, eliciting a surprised 'oomph!' from him. Then the taller boy put his arms around his frame, letting Kurt nestle his head in the nook of his shoulder.

"You'll never lose me as a friend, Finn," Kurt said into his shoulder and Finn put his arms even tighter around him. "You're my rock."

Finn smiled into his hair. "Same here, man."

Kurt pulled back, his eyes glassy. "We're hopeless, aren't we?" he asked wryly, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"No," Finn denied, a serious look in his eyes. "We're great. _You__'__re_ great."

Kurt's eyes shone with joy as he gave him an impish smile. "I think I should lock you in that pantry more often."

* * *

Wow, totally the longest chapter yet! I hope I didn't wear your eyes too much and that you liked it! I know it was an emotional rollercoaster and not quite the usual flippant bickering but I feel the episode demanded it…

Reviews make smiles :)

Until next time!


	53. 3x07: The Art of Manning Up

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, nothing.

**A/N: **So, things aren't looking good for either of the Hudmel brothers these days…I kinda suspected Britt would win the election…though Glee managed to put a curve ball even here and I was genuinely surprised at how it all panned out.

**And ****Kurt, ****Rachel ****and ****Finn?** OMG. Finn was actually allowed to talk his brother. Their scenes gave me total warm fuzzies, as they always do:)

Have a great Saint Nick's Day and enjoy!

* * *

**The Art Of Manning Up**

"Aaaaaahh!" the scream pierced through the stillness of the Hudmel house and reverberated through Finn's skull like a gong.

"Dude!" he exclaimed reproachfully, rubbing his ear. "If you blow up my ear drums, how are we gonna win Sectionals?"

"With flying colors," Kurt replied haughtily. "In fact, I might be doing New Directions a favor. We're better off without your tin ears."

Finn paused _The __Night __Of __The __Living __Dead_ they were watching. "How can you even _have_ tin ears? Isn't tin like a metal or stuff and why-" he stopped and looked over his shoulder where Kurt was curled up in a ball behind him with his face hidden under a pillow. Finn raised an eyebrow. "Dude, are you using me as a shield against flesh-eating zombies?"

Kurt peeked from under the pillow. "What? No, I just…wanted to make you see better."

"You're sweet, man. But this way _you_ can't see anything," the taller boy pointed out innocently. "And it's a really good movie!"

"Really? I didn't notice that."

"You would if you hadn't been covering your eyes for the last hour," Finn replied. "It's really not that scary, you don't have to be afraid, man."

"I'm not _afraid_." Kurt sat up and straightened his shirt with an indignant pout. "I simply can't stand mediocre B-grade cinematography," he said. "It's a burden I have to carry every day," he added with a mock-regretful sigh.

"Hey, this is a classic!" Finn protested. "And at least it doesn't make you cry like that _A_ _Walk __To __Remember_ movie you made me watch last week!"

Kurt gaped. "That's where you're wrong. This movie is so bad, I've been trying not to weep since the very first scene," he retorted. "And of course I cried during _A_ _Walk __To __Remember_! That's the most touching romantic movie in the history of romantic movies! Just because you have a piece of coal instead of your heart, it doesn't mean it's any less touching!" He narrowed his eyes at Finn. "Also, do I need to remind you that you cried during Transformers?"

"Hey, it was Optimus Prime!"

Kurt crossed his hands. "Oh, please."

"If you hate this so much, you can just go," Finn said, his tone hurt. "It's not like I'm holding you hostage or something."

Kurt crossed his hands and remained seated where he was. The taller boy shot him a shrewd look.

"But you won't cuz you've been dying to know what happened in Figg's office," he stated.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kurt replied innocently.

"Dude. You let me pick out the take-away _and_ you're watching a zombie movie with me," Finn recounted. "So it's that or aliens abducted you and removed your brain and as cool as that would be, I would have to go all Terminator on you."

Kurt pouted, aiming for a hurt look. "Can't I just want to spend some quality time with my stepbrother?"

Finn shot him a disbelieving look. "Your idea of quality time is drinking warm milk and doing this slapping thing to your face."

"It's called a Thai facial massage, Finnegan," Kurt enunciated, "-and if I remember correctly, you liked it. In fact, you asked me yourself to show you."

"I was curious! And it was kinda pleasant…in a painful sort of way."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's supposed to hurt, it's helpful for augmenting subcutaneous blood circulation."

Finn blinked. "Whatting what?"

"It means it's good for you," Kurt said with a sigh. "So, now that we've covered the wild linguistic digression part, mind telling me what the hell happened today, brother of mine? Santana slaps you in front of more than a dozen witnesses, including two teachers, you go into the principal's office, who has the obligation to suspend her, and you come out best buddies-"

"I wouldn't exactly call it best buddies," Finn hedged. "She called me hamburger-face."

"Poor baby," Kurt said with a chuckle. "That's like an endearment in Santana's vocabulary, you know that, right?"

"Uh, didn't feel like one."

Kurt shook his head. "Semantics aside, you got any light you'd like to shed on this development?"

Finn shrugged. "Um, not really. You've summed it up pretty well."

The smaller boy raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not getting out of this one that easy. I haven't been watching human insides being treated like hors d'oeuvres for the last two hours for nothing."

"I knew you had an interior motive!" Finn exclaimed triumphantly.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "_Ulterior_. There's interior _design_, Finn."

"They don't sound similar at all."

"Precisely," Kurt confirmed, arching an eyebrow. "Which sometimes makes me wonder how you ever managed to learn the English language in the first place."

"I'm just full of surprises, huh?" the taller boy retorted with a playful grin.

Kurt stared him down. "Enough. Spill."

The taller boy pushed a hand through his already disheveled hair. "There's really not much to it. I told them she didn't really slap me. That it was, y'know, that acting thing."

"A stage slap?" Kurt supplanted incredulously.

"Yeah," Finn confirmed. "Mr. Schue did the same face," he observed, taking in his stepbrother's stupefied expression.

"Well, that's probably because he's that rare specimen of teacher who isn't a moron and doesn't believe every ridiculous fib that students come up with."

"Figgins went for it."

"Only proves my point."

"Well, it's a good thing cuz he let Santana off scot-free."

Kurt watched him with that intent stare that Finn was pretty sure could cut through glass, and most definitely could cut straight into his head, so he dropped his gaze.

"Why would you do that, Finn?" he asked softly, even though he believed he already knew the answer.

"I want Sectionals to be a fair fight," the taller boy finally replied because he was sure Kurt's gaze would make holes in his tee if he didn't. "That can't happen without Santana on the Troubletones."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Finnegan Hudson. You do one of the most honorable and kind things I've ever heard of and you're trying to downplay it and make it sound like it's about some competition."

"_Some __competition_? It's _Sectionals_, man!"

"Finn, that's not the point."

The taller boy groaned. "Dude, don't make this into something it's not," he replied, fidgeting with his hands and still avoiding Kurt's gaze. "I'm not some great, wonderful guy who sweeps in and saves the day-"

"I beg to differ," the countertenor objected. "Maybe you don't but I still have a vivid recollection of Sectionals sophomore year, where you did exactly that. And if it hadn't been for you, there wouldn't even _be_ New Directions."

"That was a long time ago," Finn replied bitterly with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have no idea where you got this idea from but I'm not some…some kind of hero! I'm a just giant douchebag who thinks tact is a vegetable and scruples are money is Russia."

Kurt chuckled at the sheer absurdity of the words and put two fingers under his brother's chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Oh, believe me, I stopped putting you on a pedestal a long time ago, Finn. I see all your faults, including your inability to operate a washing machine," he said, flashing him an impish smile. "The trouble is, even with all that, you're still most of the great things you were back when I first met you."

Finn looked at him incredulously. "Seriously? Dude, I'm not _great_. I never were. I mean, look at all of us. You're all doing things and going places, and I'm just an idiot loser, who can't play football and operate household equipment."

"Well, it's certainly easier to live pretending that you are," Kurt replied sternly, a spark of anger igniting his tone. "You don't have to try so hard when nobody expects anything from you, do you?"

"Dude, I _am_ trying!"

"I know you are!" Kurt threw his hands up. "But why do you deny it?"

Finn shrugged. "Cuz it doesn't make any difference. Whatever I do, I'm still a failure and an idiot who hurts everyone around him."

"Just so you know, I'm using every ounce of my self-restraint to not throttle you right now," Kurt said.

"I guess I should be grateful there are no power tools around," the taller boy said humorlessly.

"Damn right you are," the countertenor confirmed. "You are not a failure, Finn Hudson! And if I have to repeat it one more time, I swear I'll write it on your forehead with a Sharpie when you're asleep."

"Dude, that's kinda extreme."

"Well, nothing else seems to get through your thick skull," Kurt replied with a huff. "And don't think I won't do it. I've had enough of this defeatist, one-stupid-recruiter-shot-me-down-so-I'm-gonna-wallow-in-self-pity-for-the-rest-of-my-life act from you."

Finn swallowed.

Kurt sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And as for Santana, it's true, you acted like an idiot and really stepped in it but the fact that you're actually willing to reflect on your character and struggle to do the right thing? Like you _always_ do? That's exceptional, Finn, and I admire you for it, I really do."

"Dude-" Finn began, still far from convinced.

"Do you know what's the most important thing in a fight?" Kurt asked, cutting the other boy off.

Finn blinked. "Uh, your right hook?

"No." The countertenor shook his head. "To know that it isn't really about the fight in the first place. We all lose from time to time but it's what you do _after_ you get up that matters. And you, Finn Hudson, always do the right thing. It doesn't make you a loser, it makes you _great_ in my book, however hard you deny it."

The taller boy blinked. "Dude, you give the best pep talks. I think I'm kinda in love with you right now."

Kurt huffed. "Tough luck, Hudson. You're two years too late," he retorted with a wry smile.

"Damn, I've always had problems with timing," he said and grinned when Kurt for once let him ruffle his hair.

The smaller boy chuckled. "So. Now that we've got the emotional pep talk part out the way, care to tell me what's your plan?"

"My plan?"

"I know you won't stop at this," Kurt replied. "You've got some big make-up plan for Santana which probably involves lots of singing and dancing, don't you?"

"Am I really that predictable?"

"Yes." Kurt smiled peevishly. "That, and I happened to glance at your phone during dinner. Lady Music Week?"

"Uh, yeah. That. I know it sounds kinda silly but I figured we could do some supportive songs for Santana this week and…let her know she's not alone," he explained slowly, struggling for the right words. "I mean, I'm not gay and can't begin to imagine what's it really like to be out in high school but I _do_ know you and…I want to do for her what I failed to do for you, Kurt," he said soulfully, meeting the other boy's gaze. "I'll never forgive myself for not protecting you like I should have but the least I can do is not let something like that ever happen to anyone else on my watch."

Kurt blinked, feeling tears in the corners of his eyes. His words for once failing him, he put his arms around the taller boy and wrapped him up tightly in a bone-crushing embrace.

"You've grown so much and I'm so proud of you," he whispered, his throat clenched.

Finn reciprocated the hug, burying his head in the crook of Kurt's shoulder.

"It's all you, man. If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be just another dumb jock."

"You are a dumb jock," the smaller boy replied wryly, pulling back and trying to blink away the tears welling up in his eyes. "But you're my dumb jock and I wouldn't trade you for anything," he continued. "Well, maybe except a pair of Manolos."

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "I have no idea what that is but, dude, like sixty percent of what you've said was actually nice. I think that's a new record."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It was forty percent tops," Kurt retorted.

Finn chuckled and caught him in another hug, eliciting an indignant squeak from him.

"Finn, it wasn't a compliment. It was a witty repartee at your expense," Kurt said evenly, his feet dangling a couple of inches above the floor. "You're not supposed to hug me."

"Says who?" Finn asked unfazed.

"Oh, I don't know. Common sense. The rules of logic."

"Never been big on those."

"Oh? And how are you on having your head shaved in your sleep?"

Finn let him go with an alarmed look on his face. "Dude, are we back to that?"

"You leave me no choice," Kurt replied, shrugging gracefully and re-adjusting his clothes. "No more unannounced Finn Hudson Snuggle Attacks. Ever."

The taller boy smiled teasingly. "How about announced Snuggle Attacks?"

"How about a Mohawk?" Kurt shot back.

Finn pouted. "You're no fun."

"This is a three hundred dollar shirt you've just wrinkled. Of course I'm no fun."

Finn blinked. "_Three __hundred_? Dude, I wouldn't buy it if it had two hundred stuffed in the pocket!" he exclaimed. "And why are you even wearing such expensive clothes when we're vegging out on the couch? You know I spill things!"

Kurt scowled at him. "After three years of being a human slushie dartboard I think I can handle any food you could possibly spill on me. And just because it's a casual evening, it doesn't mean I have to look like a slob," he added pointedly.

"It kinda does, man. That's the point."

Kurt shook his head. "Six billion people in the world and I get you."

Finn grinned. "Yeah, talk about luck."

"You're really pushing yours, you know."

The taller boy sighed, his grin waning from his face. "I kinda am, aren't I?" he muttered. "I mean, with the Santana lesson. I really want to show her we're there for her but knowing me, I'll most likely put my big foot in it and make it even worse for her. And then she'll go after me with her razors."

"Well, there's always this entertaining possibility," Kurt said evenly, sidling next to him on the couch. Finn flashed him a reproachful glance and he sighed. "But you won't," he added with conviction. "After what you did today, I'm sure you can handle it."

"R-really?" Finn stuttered because that was a lot of trust to put in someone who tripped over their own feet.

"Really really," the smaller boy replied. "You've got your heart in the right place and however angry and prickly Santana may be, I know she'll see it. And if you need any help, I'm here."

Finn smiled. "Actually, I do. How about-"

"I'm not taking my sai swords to Glee tomorrow."

"That would be cool but that's not what I had in mind," Finn replied, his expression contemplative. "How about you sing a duet with Blaine? It would be a great way to start the whole week off."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"I mean, you haven't had the chance to sing together in New Directions yet and I thought…" he trailed off. "But if you don't want to-"

"No, it's a great idea," Kurt replied. "I'm just surprised you're willingly giving Blaine, as in my-boyfriend-the-former-Warbler Blaine stage time."

"It's not really stage time," the taller boy retorted. "And it's for a bigger cause."

Kurt stared him down. "You've been dragged through the mud and slapped today so I'm going to lay off you for now but we will have a talk about Blaine. He might be short and cute and dapper but I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when you push him too far," he said menacingly. "You're really close, by the way."

"Dude, he's a hobbit," Finn replied dismissively. "And it's not like he trains box or something."

**XxXxXxXxX**

The whole week had been a blur to Finn but it was mostly a good blur, with the Lady Music Week kicking off so well, Santana not biting his head off (at least not more than usual) and Burt winning the election.

And then there was Kurt and Rachel. Mostly Kurt, though, because a week's suspension and a ban from Sectionals was nothing compared to watching your dreams crash and burn in a matter of minutes. He knew the feeling.

Kurt wanted this so bad. NYADA was everything he dreamed of and his application was riding on this one Class President election. When he came out of Figgins' office with his tears in his eyes and that broken look on his face, Finn felt so helpless and angry. And then in Glee, he was awed. He knew Kurt was devastated still, yet he didn't show it. The way he spoke to Britt, with so much grace and maturity, it made Finn's chest swell with affection and pride that he could call this boy his brother.

After that, Kurt had been really quiet, though. He was distant in Mr. Schue's office when they celebrated and when they returned home, he'd bunkered himself in his room and didn't come out. Finn figured he had a lot on his mind right now and wanted to be alone.

Not that he was going to let him do that. He remembered how much comfort it gave him to have Rachel there when he found out his college football dreams were as realistic as him ever understanding what was funny about The Big Bang Theory. He knew Kurt had Blaine and the black-haired boy had risen to the occasion really well and been there for Kurt, for which Finn was grudgingly grateful, but Blaine wasn't here now.

He grabbed a DVD from the coffee table and bounded up the stairs to Kurt's bedroom.

"Can I come in?" he asked, putting his head through the door.

"No," came Kurt's reply.

"That's why I usually don't ask," the taller boy replied and went in, finding his stepbrother lying on his bed. He sat next to him, feeling the bed sink under his weight.

"I wanted to ask if you wanna hang out?" he offered. "Mom and Burt just left for that fancy restaurant in Dayton to celebrate, Rachel's not answering her phone and is that _cucumber_ on your face?"

Kurt slowly lifted his head and removed one of the cucumber slices from his eye.

"Yes. Now go away," he snapped and laid back down.

Nonplussed, Finn reached out and took the cucumber off his other eye.

"Hey!" Kurt said in protest, sitting up.

"Why?"

"What why?" the smaller boy asked in confusion, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be indignant.

"The cucumber. What does it do?" Finn explained, considering the slice in his grasp for a moment before he began munching on it thoughtfully.

Kurt observed him with horror for a moment. "It's a cucumber facial," he said slowly, his eyes transfixed on Finn's moving mouth. "It was covered in cream."

"Really? Didn't taste like it."

"After what you put in your mouth, I'd figure your taste buds are all but burned out."

"My taste is just fine. You just use tasty creams," the taller boy replied, swallowing the rest of the slice. "So, anyhoo, what do you need a cucumber facial for?"

Kurt sighed, picking a towel and rubbing his face clean from the cream. "It helps with bags under one's eyes."

Finn felt his stomach cinch up as the other boy removed the cream covering his face and he could really see him. He was always startled by how different his stepbrother looked without the shield of his fancy clothes and hair. Younger, of course, but also fragile. For all his incredible strength and courage, Kurt was really very delicate and sometimes Finn feared he would break like a porcelain doll he so resembled.

There was a line etched between his eyebrows now, that smoothed itself out as he looked at him, trying to smile. It was the same line Finn saw in Mr. Schue's office when they were celebrating and Kurt just sat withdrawn in the corner, thinking no one would notice. Well, Finn did. The unobservant klutz that he was, it had become almost an instinct for him by now to notice and see everything that was connected with his brother. He had a lot to make up for in that respect.

"Kurt, are you ok?"

"Let's see. I lost the auditions for West Side Story, I lost the election _and_ I sent a practically empty application to my dream school," he recounted. "No, I can't really say I'm ok."

"Dude, there are other schools with arts programs than NYADA," Finn tried to reason gently.

"But this is _the_school, Finn."

"I know, man. But that's life and not all dreams can come true," Finn said with a tight-lipped smile. "A really smart kid once told me that it's not about whether you lose a fight but what you do after you get up."

"You were listening?"

"Of course I was listening!" Finn said indignantly. "And now it's time to practice what you preach. I know you can do it cuz I know you and I saw how great you were with Britt today. When you manned up and congratulated her, I was really proud to be your brother, y'know."

"Yes, well, that was the right thing to do," Kurt sighed. "Which doesn't make it any less painful. This was supposed to be _my__year_, Finn," he said, clenching his fists. "The year when I finally spread my wings and show everyone what I'm worth _and_make my dreams come true."

"Dude, you will!" Finn assured him. "And maybe this is just one of those situations when one door closes and another opens? I mean, things happen for a reason, don't they?"

Kurt smiled bitterly. "Did you notice people only say that about bad things?"

"Dude, you'll make it. One way or another. You're not meant to be a Lima loser, you never were."

Kurt let a small smile ghost over his lips. "Speaking of which, neither are you. I'm really impressed by how you handled this week and Santana. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier but with everything going on-"

"Nah, it's cool, dude," Finn said with a smile. "And thanks, it means a lot to know that you liked what I did. I mean, I know I was all over the place and maybe up in Santana's face too much-"

"_That_ was intense," the smaller boy agreed. "I was afraid she was going to either slap you again or kiss you." He shivered. "Honestly, I don't know what would have been worse."

"I know. But I manned up and decided it's better to be intrusive and stuff than wait till the last minute and end up saying 'I knew but I didn't want to impose'," he said. "I mean, just because someone is tough and acts tough, doesn't mean everything is necessarily ok," he added, looking at Kurt pointedly.

The countertenor's expression changed. It was now a small concoction of sadness, anxiety and tenderness.

"You're way more observant than you let on, aren't you, Finn?"

"Only when it comes to you. And maybe Rach a bit. But it's easier with her."

"I don't know if I should be scared or touched."

Finn smiled. "Probably both."

"Well, I do appreciate that you, Blaine and Rachel care so much."

"We simply get how awesome you are."

Kurt shook his head. "It's hard to believe that after this week."

The taller boy balked at that. "You can be an idiot sometimes, man. The smart kind, but still."

Kurt flashed him a reproachful look.

"I mean, you're the _awesomest _kid I know! It took me a while to figure it out but now there's nothing I'm more sure of," Finn said vehemently and took a deep breath before meeting Kurt's gaze. "And maybe I don't know much but I know this. If there's someone who's going to make it out of here, it's you. Don't you ever doubt that," he finished forcefully and patted Kurt on the shoulder gingerly. "So, um, does this help?" he asked sheepishly when Kurt looked at him silently with an unreadable expression on his face.

Kurt gave him a wan smile. "Not really," he replied and leaned in, curling against Finn's side. "But this always does."

Finn smiled into his brother's hair and put his arms around him. "I mean it when I say you're fierce, man. It's kinda scary…in a cool way, but when you put your mind to something, nothing's impossible."

Kurt reached for the DVD Finn had placed on his nightstand earlier and glanced up at the other boy. "Even flesh-eating zombies?"

Finn grinned. "Especially flesh-eating zombies."

* * *

That's it, guys! I hope you liked this and you know what to do now:)

Till next time!


	54. 3x08: Fight Club

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Glee's not mine, though wait…nope. Still not mine.

**A/N1: **A **thousand** **reviews**! Holy cow from outer space! Honestly, you guys, I'm thinking of just taking all the reviews and putting them up on my walls. They make me glow with happiness. So, a **thousand thanks** to all you wonderful people who take the time to give me so much encouragement and joy – you've helped me keep the flame of this story alive for more than a year now and I love you all:)

**A/N2: Spoilers for "HOTS" ahead **(hot indeed;). The episode wasn't "First Time" good, but it had a cool beat to it and the beautiful, truly Glee "We Are Young!" number is what I'm walking away from this epi with. Plus we had Blaine _finally_ showing some attitude, Finn _finally_ making some largely overdue amends and Kurt being on top of his game – from the Craig's List comment (take that, Sebastard!), to the Gerber Baby comment, to the leap over Mike Chang. Snarky and sassy – just the way we love him:)

**PS.** All you 'Firefly' fans out there? You'll have a field day with this one;) I like to think of this chapter as a sort of tribute to that great show:)

* * *

**Fight Club**

"_Forget it!"_

The stunned silence that followed Blaine's angry departure hung over the boys, expanding in itself while it choked the air out of the choir room.

"What the hell is his problem?" Sam finally asked in bewilderment.

Kurt blinked. Blaine avoided conflict like ebola or Brussels sprouts and seeing him this worked up was something new and out of the blue. Still, it didn't take him long to snap out of his stupor, and he tightened his lips into a narrow line. His eyes flashed angrily as he turned to the blonde.

"What's _his_ problem?" he asked savagely, looking around the room, his eyes settling on Finn. "What's _your _problem? Blaine's a talented performer with brilliant ideas and he has done nothing but try to fix the messy ass group New Directions has become and all you do is shoot him down! Time after time!" he burst, his words directed at everyone but his glance still boring into his stepbrother. "And Sam just thrusts his crotch in from Kentucky and suddenly he has all the answers?" he said harshly, his voice getting higher and higher with anger. "Hell no!"

With that he stormed off, his hand reaching for his phone to dial Blaine's number. He didn't get to the actual calling part, though, because suddenly there was a large hand on his shoulder stopping him dead in his tracks.

"I don't want to talk to you, Finn," he hissed, not bothering with turning.

"Dude, how did you know it was me?"

"Only you would be idiot enough to go after me when I'm spitting nails."

"I like to think I'm the only one _brave_ enough," the taller boy retorted.

"Tomato tomayto," Kurt replied and finally turned towards him.

He sighed irritably, seeing Finn had his resolute face on, which meant he wasn't letting this go no matter what insults the countertenor threw at him.

"You're the worst of them," he said, his eyes narrowing.

Finn blinked. "What do you mean? Worst of who?"

"Don't you even dare give me the hurt innocence act," Kurt snapped. "You know perfectly well what I mean."

"Actually-"

"Until now, Blaine and I agreed we would fight our own fights so I stepped back and let him handle this. But I can't anymore," Kurt said, stepping closer to his stepbrother to make a point. "You've had it in for Blaine since day one. You didn't even give him a chance," he added bitterly.

"Dude, don't take this out on me! I didn't even say a word!"

"This time," Kurt shot back.

"I did nothing wrong!"

The smaller boy stared him down. "You called him a _ball hog_," he said, punctuating the last word by stabbing Finn in the chest with his finger. "You told him to sit _down_." Stab. "You threw solos in his face only to take them _away_." Stab. "You didn't let him get a single word in _edgewise_." Stab.

"Dude, I'm gonna bruise!" Finn protested when the smaller boy had him up against the locker.

"I didn't know you were such a delicate flower," Kurt said with soft malice, not backing off an inch. "You do all that," he continued, "and Blaine continues to take it because that's what a gentleman and class act he is. But then you push even further! You drive hours to bring back Sam Evans from a strip club and you just give him all this unconditional support that Blaine's been working so hard for and trying to earn all this time and you treat Sam like he's some damn savior of the club!" he finished angrily, his chest heaving. "So don't you _dare _tell me you did _nothing wrong_ because all this is _your fault!_"

Speechless, Finn let his head drop. He had done all that and he wasn't exactly proud of it but having someone else actually spell it out for him had that bucket-of-cold-water-over-your-head effect on him, and it terrified him what he saw because he never thought he could become such a jealous jerk of a person. His thoughts were reflected in Kurt's angry, disappointed glance and Finn's heart constricted painfully because after the basement blow-out sophomore year, he had promised himself he would never be the cause of that look on his stepbrother's face again.

"I just want to know _why_," Kurt said, hating how his voice cracked on the last word. It was almost too painful to have two boys he cared most about at each other's throats. He felt tears in the corners of his eyes and he willed them away. "Why do you hate him so much? Or is this some way of getting back at _me_?"

Finn blinked, his head snapping up. "Getting back at you?" he echoed incredulously. "Dude, you're my best friend! Where is this even _coming _from?"

Kurt let out a mirthless laugh. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe from your constantly lashing out at the boy I'm in love with!" he burst, his eyes almost pure green, anger altering their color. "If that's what being a best friend means to you, then I don't think I want any of your friendship anymore!" he finished, his expression hard.

Finn froze, Kurt's words cutting into him like shards of glass that had just exploded straight into his face. That was it. He pushed and pushed and Kurt let it all slide but now he had finally driven the other boy to the edge. He had to come clean or he would lose his stepbrother's friendship forever and that would be the end of him. Because Kurt was like Doritos. Finn would never survive without him in his life.

"You're right," he finally said, his shoulders sagging.

With that, he looked up and let himself meet the other boy's gaze. He could see by the startled look he gave him that Kurt didn't really mean to say so much. It gave him the confidence to continue.

"I don't deserve your friendship," he said in a strangled voice. "But I need it. You're my rock, man. You and Rach. I may be a d-bag and a clueless jock but even I can recognize a true friend when I see one. I mean, what we have is really special and it's just something that had no right to happen at all…That's the stuff…you see, like, on TV," he stuttered, searching for the right words. "Still, it really happened. And I let my jealousy and insecurity get in the way of that. I see that now."

Kurt's expression softened in his eyebrows but his lips remained a thin line.

"I know it doesn't really cut it," Finn continued uneasily, "-but I'm really sorry. You know I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you."

Kurt regarded him for a moment, his usually expressive face unreadable. "You mean to tell me this is all because you're _jealous_ of Blaine?" he finally asked, crossing his hands.

"I guess." The taller teen shrugged. "I mean, he's so much better than me and I just couldn't bring myself to be the better man this time. I mean, I've already lost any chance of a football scholarship, I've lost you and if I lose Glee, too, there isn't much left, is there?"

"And that's where you're wrong," Kurt objected, all his anger forgotten. "There's so much more to you than just football or Glee, Finn. I just wish there was a way I could make you see it," he said wistfully. Suddenly his eyes brightened. "Do you know why you're the leader of New Directions?"

"Because Mr. Schue heard me sing in the showers?"

Kurt cracked a smile and shook his head. "I guess that's part of it but that's not what I meant," he clarified. "It's not because you're a really good singer or because you have great leadership qualities. It's because you have this peculiar quality that makes people pay attention to you."

Finn stared at him.

Kurt continued, "You have it even when you're exhausted or you're asleep. When you're around, I…feel a stronger, better and more content version of myself. And I know others feel like that, too. And when you combine it with that big, goofy heart of yours, you're truly a wonderful person, Finn, and no one can take that away from you_. That's_ why you're the leader."

The taller boy continued to stare mutely because Kurt was doing it again. It was like he could look straight into his head and always find something sweet and heartfelt to tell him that would make him feel better. Even if it was heavily drizzled with sarcastic, snarky sauce. That only made it more sincere somehow.

"That's why I'm all the more disappointed in you," the countertenor said, making Finn get out of his head. "While I can understand Blaine might not be your favorite person in the whole world-"

"That's you," Finn put in quickly in a tiny voice.

"We're so not at the sappy banter part of this conversation yet," Kurt replied sternly, desperately trying to hide the smile threatening to curve his lips.

"So there _will_ be that part?" the taller teen asked hopefully.

Kurt pouted and put his hands on his hips. "You are totally missing the point, Finnegan. Again."

"And you're what, surprised?" Finn asked in a self-deprecating manner, trying to make the other boy crack a smile.

And Kurt almost did, salvaging himself in the last moment by putting on a scowl. "Not really," he denied. "What I am surprised about, though, is your attitude. You knew what you were doing was bad yet you didn't stop. You've always been able to get over yourself and put your insecurities and personal interests aside for the sake of the greater good. And for my sake," he added. "So, I thought you'd at least _try_ to be civil and understanding because you know how much Blaine means to me. Even though you hate him."

The quarterback shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. "I don't hate Blaine," he mumbled. "The thing is, _IthinkIkindalikehim_."

"Louder," Kurt prompted. "It won't kill you to say it."

Finn let out a loud sigh. "I like Blaine, okay!"

"Well, you have a strange way of showing it," Kurt observed dryly.

"I'm gonna change that, I promise," the taller boy vowed.

"I truly hope so," the countertenor said, eyeing him steadily. Then his eyes were drawn to the large clock hanging in the hallway. "We'll talk about this later. Right now you go back to rehearsal and try to stop Sam from turning the boys into a show choir version of the Chippendales while I'll go find Blaine and do damage control," he said, texting his boyfriend for his whereabouts.

"Actually-" Finn began hesitantly. "Could I talk to Blaine?"

Kurt regarded him dubiously. "I don't think that's a good idea, Finn."

"I really want to fix this, man," he said pleadingly. "You gotta let me try."

"No try, Finn," the smaller boy said categorically. "Either you do it or you don't. I can't risk you messing this up even more than you already have."

"Did you just make a Yoda reference?"

"If you want to know if I've just quoted a made-up talking space lizard," Kurt began with a self-deprecating smile, "-then the answer is…yes."

"I _knew _you watched Star Wars!" Finn said triumphantly. "And Yoda isn't a lizard!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Finn, he could be a talking piece of sea anemone for all I care," he said pointedly. "Not the point."

The taller boy nodded, figuring now wasn't the best time to ask what _alimony_ had to do with Star Wars, and fidgeted with his hands nervously.

"You can trust me, Kurt," he said soulfully. "I won't mess this up."

Kurt regarded him silently.

Finn gave him a hurt look. "Dude, you have to at least give me a chance!"

"Finn, with how much you've messed up lately, you can hardly blame me for being hesitant about your ability to handle my furious, hurt boyfriend."

"Thanks, dude. You're always so helpful."

"I do what I can," Kurt replied with an innocent shrug. "So, what's your plan exactly?"

"Beating my head into the lockers until I pass out."

"As entertaining as that would be, I doubt it would make things between you and Blaine better," Kurt deadpanned but then regarded the other boy with a steady gaze. "Seriously. I want to know what you're going to do before I let you anywhere near Blaine right now."

Finn shrugged and pushed a hand through his hair. "I'm gonna apologize," he said. "Tell him I'm a complete jackass who's jealous of his talent. And if he decides to shout at me, call me names or throw a punch, I'll let him."

"He'd never do that. He's too classy for that."

Finn sighed. "I know. And that's the worst of it. I think I'd prefer it if he shouted at me or knocked me out."

Kurt finally allowed himself to crack a smile. "If he doesn't, I'm sure you'll find plenty of volunteers."

"So. Helpful," the taller boy enunciated. Then he did a double take. "Wait, does this mean you're letting me do this?"

The countertenor looked him straight in the eye. "He's in the weight room."

Finn smiled, gathering Kurt up in his arms against his protests, and pressed a loud kiss on his cheek.

"Put me down this instant, you overgrown Labrador!" the smaller boy screeched. "I'm not a stuffed animal!"

"True. You're way too prickly," the other teen replied unfazed and tightened his grip around his stepbrother's shoulders.

Kurt let out a martyred sigh and stopped resisting, choosing to put his head against the steady comfort of his brother's chest.

"Thanks, man," Finn said into his hair.

"I trust you," the smaller boy replied softly. "Just don't screw it up."

**XxXxXxX**

Finn didn't screw it up.

On the contrary, he had to have done something really _well_, if the sudden smiles, covert conversations and fist bumps were any indicator. Kurt didn't know what went down in the weight room but the two most important boys in his life were finally getting along and that was all that really counted so he didn't push. Then the New Directions took Sectionals, their girls from Troubletones agreed to sort-of come back and Christmas was only two weeks away. It seemed like nothing could spoil his good mood. He had no idea how wrong he was.

It all started one evening about a week after Sectionals when Finn came home from school much later than usual. Kurt was in the kitchen cooking dinner when he heard the front door open and close.

"Finn?" he called.

"Yeah," came a muted reply from the hall.

"High time," Kurt grumbled. "You're just in time to make the table," he added more loudly. "Dinner's almost ready, and I made you lemon tart for dessert."

"'m not hungry."

Kurt turned around, wanting to witness in full the moment hell had frozen over, and caught sight of Finn making a run for the stairs.

"Stop," he called after him, coming to stand in the doorway just as Finn hit the last stair. He noticed the taller boy's shoulders sag in defeat. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied innocently but Kurt could see right through it. "Turn around," he ordered.

"Uh, I…wanna take a shower, man."

"Finnegan, if you don't turn around, I'm going to have to go up there and make you and you don't want that."

"Dude, I'm twice as big as you!" Finn replied outraged, turning around and not noticing Kurt's sharp intake of breath. "How would you ever-" he trailed off realizing the other teen was staring at him with wide eyes.

"What happened to your face?" he asked and came up the stairs, concern washing over him as he took a better look at Finn's bruised left cheekbone.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

"_Not a big deal_?" the smaller boy repeated incredulously. "Are you on something?"

"No?" Finn replied, giving him a confused look.

Kurt shook his head, and gingerly touched his fingers to the swollen spot right under the other teen's eye. "You're going to need an ice pack for that," he decided.

Finn hissed and swatted his hand away. "Dude, it's just a bruise!"

"And how did this 'just a bruise' happen?" the countertenor demanded.

"You…know me," Finn stuttered. "I, uh, tripped over my own foot and hit my head on something, don't even remember what it was."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Could it have been, I don't know, _somebody's fist_?"

"What?" Finn said. "Of course not! It was something...different. Now can I go?" he added quickly, not looking the other boy in the eye. "I really need to shower, dude."

Still suspicious, the countertenor nodded and let him go. Something was up. Kurt was a boy who knew his injuries and that wasn't a bruise one got just by falling, even with Finn's special-needs type of dexterity. It had someone's fist written all over it and Kurt would find that fist and the jerk attached to it.

He remained vigilant even though nothing out of the ordinary happened for the next couple of days. He was beginning to doubt his intuition until one afternoon when he was in his room studying with Blaine. He couldn't really call it a study session, seeing that his boyfriend's fingers were driving slow circles over his palm as he read and he couldn't really focus. At one point he just stopped trying and swatted Blaine's hand away, putting his book down with unnecessary force.

"How do you expect me to read when you're doing _that_?" he asked in clipped tones.

Blaine gave him a startled look. "I'm sorry," he replied repentantly. "I wasn't-" he didn't finish and his breath hitched as Kurt suddenly reached out, combed his fingers through his hair and pulled their faces within an inch of each other.

"Don't ever apologize for doing something sexy," Kurt said huskily and crushed his lips against his boyfriend's.

The kiss was short-lived, though, because as Kurt started to trail his hand down his neck, over his collarbone and down to his chest, Blaine suddenly let out a pained yelp and pulled back.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, flummoxed. "What's wrong?"

The other teen shook his head. "Nothing. Sorry," he stuttered. "It's just, I've been working out a lot and I pulled a muscle."

"You're working out?" the countertenor asked bewildered. "Since when? What for?"

Blaine took Kurt's hand and placed a soft kiss over his knuckles. "I want to be in good shape for you," he said with an impish smile and Kurt knew his cheeks turned an interesting shade of red. And then Blaine was kissing him again and his brain turned to mush, all his questions and suspicions forgotten.

They weren't forgotten forever, though. Actually, they reappeared just the next day when he was researching a book in the library while waiting for Finn to finish his training so that they could drive home together. He had just found what he was looking for when his phone came to life with a text.

_m done erly. we can go _

Kurt rolled his eyes and texted Finn back.

_I believe we discussed the issue of using full sentences and correct spelling while texting me. Try again._

_Cant. Only haf 1hand_

Kurt blinked.

_What do you mean ONE HAND? What happened? Did Shane tear the other one off?_

_yr funny _was the only answer he got.

He was about to pack his things and go investigate when Finn put his head through the library door.

"Dude?" he whispered. "You in here?"

"As sad as that sounds, yes," Kurt replied, taking his bag and speeding to him. "What happened?" he asked, taking Finn in as they walked down the hall and making sure he had all his legs and hands where they should be.

"Nothing. I just fell funny on my hand," Finn waved his wrist, which was in a bandage. "It swelled a little and I can't really move my fingers but, uh, the Coach said it's just a contusion and I'll be right as rain in a day or two."

Kurt regarded his stepbrother's wrist. Then he raised his eyes and was about to reply when his eyes strayed over Finn's shoulder and he frowned, thinking he caught a glimpse of a certain compact back and a black-haired head disappearing behind the corner but then Finn was talking again and when he looked back, there was no one but the two of them in the hallway.

"Was…Blaine with you at the training today?" he asked.

"Blaine?" Finn echoed innocently. "Why would he be at the training, man?"

"I don't know," Kurt replied slowly, tearing his eyes away from the spot he thought he saw his boyfriend and focusing on Finn's hand again. He sighed. "We should go see a doctor and have that wrist x-rayed."

Finn waved his uninjured hand. "Nah, no need to get worked up over this. It's nothing, doesn't even hurt."

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "Oh, so in that case you can do the Christmas clean-up in the basement you've been promising to do since October?" he asked brightly.

"Uh, you know, I think it's starting to hurt again."

The countertenor shook his head and led him off to the Navigator.

Finn's hand turned out to be only badly bruised but Kurt had had enough. He had seen Blaine in the hallway, he was sure of it, when he was supposed to be doing shopping with his mother, and Finn was playing dumb about it. Something was up and he was determined to get to the bottom of this.

An opportunity presented itself just the next day when he was with Blaine at the Lima Bean for their usual after-school coffee.

"Why is you hand bruised?" he asked, his eyes widening as he noticed his boyfriend's knuckles were a sickening violet-greenish hue.

"It's nothing," Blaine replied quickly and retracted his right hand from the table.

Kurt raised one pointed eyebrow at him. "I think someone's face feels differently."

Blaine shook his head, chuckling lightly. "It wasn't anybody's face, Kurt. It was my doorframe. It attacked me, I lashed back. Just your run-of-the-mill domestic violence," he added wryly.

"And on the day the words 'flimsy excuse' were reinvented," Kurt said irritably, "-we all stood around in awe and watched."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "It's really nothing."

The countertenor huffed. "And of course it has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the fact that Finn happens to have a very similar injury and that you were at school the same time as him yesterday even though you were supposed to be shopping with your mother."

Blaine's eyes widened for a moment but he managed to keep his cool. "I _was_ with my mom!" he replied indignantly.

"Yes. Two hours later than you told me."

Blaine gaped. "How do you-"

"I called her."

The black-haired boy regarded him for a while. "I can't believe you'd go behind my back like this," he finally said, shaking his head. "I thought we trusted each other!"

Kurt let his eyes drop because it certainly wasn't his greatest moment and his boyfriend looked genuinely hurt but _Blaine_ was the one keeping secrets from _him _so if someone here should feel guilty, it was him. He looked up and met his gaze, lips drawn in a thin line.

"I used to think so, too," he replied, narrowing his eyes. "Right until _you_ started to have secrets!"

"Kurt-"

"All I know," the countertenor cut him off, "-is that ever since Sectionals my boyfriend and my brother seem to have a lot of strange injuries they refuse to talk about. So excuse me for being worried and trying to find out what the hell is going on!"

It was the shorter boy's turn to drop his gaze. He swirled the coffee in his cup for a while, staring fixedly into it. Finally he raised his head and sighed.

"You don't need to be worried, Kurt," he said, closing both his hands around the countertenor's on the table. "I promise."

"Now I'm _really_ worried. What are you up to, Blaine?"

"I really can't talk about it." He shook his head. "But it has nothing to do with you, I promise."

Kurt stared him down. "Blaine Anderson, if you and Finn jumped down each other's throats and now you're covering it up, I swear I will set fire to your vast and impressive hair gel supply and watch it burn. And that will be only the beginning."

An amused smile crossed over Blaine's lips.

"Finn and I are fine, Kurt," he tried to reassure him. "In fact, we've never been better."

"I'm glad to hear that. Even though the fist bumps are getting kinda annoying."

Blaine shrugged. "Bro code," he replied wryly. "Nothing I can do about it."

Kurt felt his lips twitch into a smile even though he still wasn't entirely placated and Blaine hadn't really told him what was going on.

"Is this the same 'bro code' that doesn't allow you to tell your boyfriend why you're sporting manly yet unappealing bruises all over?"

Blaine sighed. "Please…let it go, Kurt. Just this once."

Kurt flashed him a small smile. "I'm afraid you'll have to be more persuasive than that," he said innocently.

"Will I?" the shorter boy asked, a mischievous spark in his eyes as he brushed his lips against Kurt's in a teasing butterfly of a kiss.

Before Kurt let himself get completely swept off his feet, Blaine's bruised palm came into the corner of his vision. Like hell was he letting this go.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn was never the sneakiest person…okay, he was probably the _least _sneaky person on the planet but still he was getting really good at this deflecting Kurt thing. He congratulated himself inwardly as he parked his car at Blaine's house and went straight for the basement. In true secret spy fashion, he dived behind the trash cans and re-emerged only when he was sure no one had followed him. Then he knocked the secret knock and was let inside the basement.

"Kurt's onto us," Blaine greeted him.

"How?" Finn asked, reaching for his gloves.

"Apparently he saw me when I was sneaking out of the weight room after our session on Wednesday. And he had quite a few questions about this." He waved his bruised right hand. "I had to do lots of quick talking and some kissing to throw him off scent."

"I guess it's good it wasn't me, huh?" Finn replied with a wry smile and stood in position opposite the other boy.

Blaine chuckled and shook his head, putting on his own gloves. "I don't know if I'd be cool with that."

"Well, you could always punch my lights out."

"Get down lower on your knees," Blaine instructed matter-of-factly. "How about I do that light-punching-out now?" he asked teasingly, working fast on his legs to warm up some more.

Finn grinned and corrected his stance. "I'd like to see you try, Frodo."

"You're on, Big Foot."

They sparred for a while, and Finn hadn't even broken a sweat yet when suddenly there was a commotion to his right and something dark tumbled inside with a pained yelp. Panicking, Finn aimed a swing at it but missed, baring his whole left side to Blaine, who was already in the middle of throwing a hook. When he noticed Finn had his guard down and couldn't deflect the punch, it was too late. And then the lights went out.

**XxXxXxX**

When Finn cracked his eyes open, he was met with a pulsing pain in his jaw and a concerned look from Blaine, who was crouching next to him.

"You okay?" the black-haired teen asked.

"I think so," he replied over the ringing in his ears and slowly sat up. "Dude, what was that? Some really big raccoon?"

"Um, no. It was...Kurt," Blaine said, and there was amusement in his voice.

Finn let his eyes flick from Blaine to his stepbrother, who was standing a few feet away eyeing him with a raised eyebrow.

"Damn," he said with feeling.

"Still, the back flip…thing was pretty cool," Blaine offered.

"And you looked very scary and intimidating," Kurt supplanted wryly. "-at least before you shrieked and fell over."

"I think you're mixing up 'shriek' with 'howl of murderous rage'," Finn said and squinted at him.

Blaine chuckled and reached out a hand, which the other boy accepted with gratitude.

"So, now that you're both more or less conscious, do you mind telling me what in McQueen's name are you two doing here?" Kurt demanded. "And why it cost me a bruised elbow and a tear in my Prada jacket?"

"No one told you to spy on us and get yourself tumbling through the window," Blaine pointed out.

Kurt shot him a reproachful gaze. "You left me no other choice," he said. "So, what's this top secret thing here? CIA camp? The Evil League Of Evil HQ?"

"Uh, no," Finn said. "It's just boxing."

"I can see that," the countertenor replied. "But _why_?"

"Blaine's really good and I asked him to teach me."

"By using your face as a punching bag?"

"That was an accident," Blaine explained. "Finn's kinda…prone to those. He lost his balance and well, you saw for yourself what happens."

Kurt shook his head. "With his coordination, I'm surprised he's still _alive_."

"Actually, Finnzilla here is doing surprisingly well for a guy his size."

Finn beamed at him and then turned to Kurt, who was still eyeing him with skepticism. "You hear that! I'm doing good! I can box!" he exclaimed and punched the air with one of his still be-gloved fists. "And I'm not such a klutz as you think!"

Kurt remained unimpressed. "The lamps and glassware at home beg to differ."

"You're not taking me seriously." Finn pouted. Then he attacked the punching bag in the corner, which, unfortunately for him, wasn't going to take the abuse and struck back, knocking him off his feet.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle."

Finn shook his head and made to stand up but his knees wobbled a little. Kurt ran up to steady him, Blaine coming to his other side.

"I think you've had enough for one evening, Cinderella Man," Kurt decided wryly. "Come on, I'll take you home."

"I've got my car!"

Kurt stared him down. "You've been knocked out _twice_. Both times by yourself, might I add. No way I'm letting you drive," he stated, his tone brooking no argument. "And as for your tin can of a car, Blaine will bring it over tomorrow," he added, shooting his boyfriend a pleading glance.

Blaine nodded. Kurt smiled at him and ushered Finn outside. He turned on his heel on the threshold, giving his boyfriend a speculative glance.

"There's one thing I don't get," he said slowly. "Why the hell didn't you just tell me?"

"Have you ever seen the movie _Fight Club_?"

"God, no," Kurt denied. "The cover looked really scary and even Brad Pitt couldn't make me watch it."

"_Fight Club_ isn't scary," Blaine objected. "_The Sixth Sense_, that's scary."

"_Sixth Sense_ isn't scary!"

"You buried your head in my shoulder during the ghost scenes."

"I did, didn't I?" Kurt said with an impish smile. "What possible reason could I have had for doing that, I wonder?"

Blaine's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Oh."

"Oh indeed, my clueless boyfriend."

Blaine grinned. "Want to come over on Friday and watch _PS. I Love You_?"

Kurt gave him a mock thoughtful glance. "I think I remember seeing that one a while ago. Is it scary?"

"Terrifying," Blaine deadpanned. "You may have to hold my hand or sit in my lap or something."

The countertenor smiled, leaning in-

"Kurt!" Finn exclaimed, standing in the door. "Can you make out when I'm not standing in the cold freezing my ass off waiting for you?"

"Sorry, Finn," Blaine said repentantly and pulled away.

"I'm not sorry," Kurt replied.

"Finn's kinda right," the black-haired boy said. "It's freezing and he may have a concussion. You'd better drive him home and have him lay down."

Kurt shot him an incredulous look, mouthing 'What the hell!' at him.

"We'll have plenty of time on Friday," Blaine said with a smile. "Right now you should take care of Finn, babe."

"Yeah!" Finn exclaimed. "Thanks, man. You're the best!" he grinned at Blaine and both boys bumped fists.

Rolling his eyes, Kurt groaned. "I liked you both much better when you were fighting."

* * *

I think this is the Klaine-st chapter of Odds ever;) I hope it was still okay and you liked this! Reviews are love!

It's Christmas-y times at McHS and a long hiatus after that – if you have any Xmas/winter prompts, send them over my way!

Till next time:)


	55. Oddly Adorable & Slightly Unconventional

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Not mine.

**A/N: **Hey, guys! First of all, thank you so much for all your wonderful Christmas and New Year wishes, I'm sooo lucky to have you as readers, you're truly the best! I hope you all had an amazing time during the holidays and I wish you all the best for this new year:)

**A/N2: **I'm sorry for the delay but as some of you may know, the last couple of weeks were absolutely crazy for me (in a good sense but still…) but I promise much more frequent updates from now on:) I just hope you like this chapter enough to forgive me!

**A/N3: **As for EMC…definitely not my favorite episode but I didn't expect much from what was bound to be just a filler episode...still, it was better than last year's 'Glee Christmas'. I mean, Kurt and Blaine's Gstaad chalet? Finn in Luke Skywalker outfit? Amber Riley's AIWFCIY? Pretty much make up for the drawbacks:)

Also, may I just say that Chris is so much more handsome when he's not wearing ponchos or crazy asymmetrical sweaters? ;)

And now I'll stop rambling and let you get on to the actual chapter. Meet you at the bottom.

* * *

**Oddly Adorable and Slightly Unconventional**

"Finn, is it too much to ask for something nice and shiny? It's Christmas, surely you won't deny your girlfriend a little sparkle in her life."

"But you're Jewish! I thought-"

"-you can weasel out of it using my religion as an excuse?" Rachel cut in, her tone steely. "Well, you can't. I want something nice and shiny and if you don't deliver, well, I've got something nice and shiny for you. It's called an axe."

Finn goggled at her, swallowing hard. "You're…serious?"

Rachel huffed, moving her bangs to the side. "Well, I don't mean an _actual_ axe, Finn. It was more a metaphor for an abrupt and violent ending of our relationship."

"Uh-huh," Finn mumbled weakly, giving up on trying to make sense of what his girlfriend was saying. Maybe he could use his usual tactics, smile and nod his way through this, and then just _accidentally_ lose the list-

"And don't worry about misplacing the list," she added. "I've emailed it to you and sent it to your facebook inbox, too, so you're covered," she assured him sweetly, gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek and skipped off, revealing Kurt, who was standing a couple of feet away, pretending to take a deep interest in the hallway linoleum.

Sighing, Finn slung his backpack over his shoulder and came up to him.

"I'm totally screwed, aren't I?"

Kurt gave him a sympathetic smile. "Look on the bright side. At least she didn't threaten you with a chainsaw," he offered wryly.

"Yeah, thanks," Finn replied, his expression sour. "You always know how to cheer me up." He pushed a hand through his hair and sighed. "I mean, I don't know what's going on with her. It's like she's turned into this…this lovechild of Kim Kardashian and Freddie Kruger or something. It's kinda scary."

Kurt chuckled at the imagery but Finn's scowl made the smile drop from his face.

"Sorry," he said, aiming at apologetic but not really getting there. "But it's _Rachel_, Finn. True," he went on to admit when the taller boy flashed him a sideways look, "- Christmas does seem to make her even more shallow and selfish than usual but you can't be really surprised, brother of mine."

Finn shot him an ungrateful glance and Kurt patted him on the shoulder.

"It's this time of the year," he said. "It will blow over."

The taller boy huffed. "Yeah, well, I may not survive to see the blowing-over part," he said and pulled Rachel's gift list from his jeans pocket. "And it's your fault, dude."

"Oh?" Kurt said, propping his hands on his hips. "How is your girlfriend going three kinds of crazy _my_ fault?" he demanded.

"You told her to make a gift list!" Finn replied reproachfully. "You're like the guy who created the Frankenstein monster!"

"That would be Frankenstein," Kurt said snidely and shrugged, looking unrepentant. "I had to do something about your constant whining about how you have no idea what to get her. It was that or duct-taping you to the Christmas tree. The outdoors one."

"Sweet," the taller teen said with a frown. "But didn't it occur to you that you could just, I don't know, help me pick something?" he exclaimed. "Instead of blabbing it all out _Rachel_ ! It's like…like giving Lindsay Lohan crack!"

The countertenor sighed. "Apart from a rather unsettling number of bad pop culture references, I have to say that in retrospect, you may be right."

"Apart from me getting, like, half of what you've said, I have to say _of course I'm damn right _!" Finn retorted. "And Lindsay Lohan's hot," he added defensively.

Kurt shook his head. "I see you really have a thing for the crazy ones, don't you?"

"I guess." Finn grinned at him. "I mean, I like you."

"And a zinger from Mr. Hudson," the countertenor observed waspishly and narrowed his eyes at him. "How about you use that rapier wit of yours when talking to _Rachel _next time? Maybe then you'll actually be able to put in more than monosyllables in edgewise."

"Dude, I'm not suicidal! Before I talk to her ever again, I need to get her something from this," Finn said, his eyes scanning the list. A frown grew on his face. "Diamond earrings? VIP tickets for Wicked in _NY_?" he read out, his voice growing weaker. He looked up at Kurt. "I…I can't afford this!" he stuttered. "She'll go at me with an axe. Or…or make my eardrums explode with her voice. Or-"

"Finn-"

The taller boy narrowed his eyes at him. "And you! You have, like, my blood on your hands, dude."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "I promise to give a nice eulogy at your funeral," he said evenly.

Finn glowered and the countertenor rolled his eyes. "And I thought I was the drama queen," he said, his voice imbued with exasperation. "Finn, Rachel won't kill you if you don't get her a gift from the list. She can't really expect you to get her diamond earrings. You just have to figure out something heartfelt and sweet and she'll be happy."

The taller teen arched an eyebrow at him. "Dude, did we hear the same conversation just now? She's totally going to _tear my head off_ if I don't get her something shiny."

"Then get her a roll of tin foil," Kurt snapped.

Finn scowled at him. "You really want to give that eulolo-thing soon, don't you?"

Kurt groaned, raising his eyes to the ceiling. "For God's sake, Finn, it's just _Rachel_. She's a teenage girl who's been your on-and-off girlfriend for more than a year now, and you want _me_ to tell you how to handle her? I've got enough on my hands with my own relationship without having to fix yours as well."

Finn frowned, his problems shoved onto the back burner instantly as he took in Kurt's expression. "What do you mean? Did something happen with Blaine? And by that I mean, do I need to beat him up?"

"As touching as your willingness to defend my honor is, it's nothing like that," Kurt said. "We're great. It's just-" he sighed, considering how much exactly he wanted to tell Finn but the look of sincere concern in his stepbrother's eyes made the decision easier. "I love him but he's about as romantic as the Terminator movies."

Finn looked at him quizzically.

"You heard him in the locker room," the countertenor explained. "His idea of a romantic Christmas gift is _socks_ so I guess I don't have to wonder what I'll be getting this year," he added sourly.

"Dude, please don't tell me you want to get diamonds, too, cuz my budget just can't take that."

Kurt felt his face twitch into a smile at his stepbrother's horrified expression. "No, Finn. I don't want some meaningless, expensive bauble. Not from you, not from anyone, Blaine especially." He sighed. "I'd just like to know that he really put his mind to it and that the gift means something. I hardly think socks cover that."

Finn chuckled. "Dude, Blaine's not getting you socks."

"Oh? And how do _you_ know?"

"Well, he kinda asked me for advice," Finn replied.

"That's just perfect." Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose. "The most unromantic boyfriend in the state asks the only other boy who's _more_ unromantic than him for romantic advice," he said. "I'm going to get a fishing rod, aren't I?"

The taller teen chuckled. "Dude, relax, you're not getting socks, fishing rods or car batteries."

"Car…batteries?" Kurt echoed meekly.

Finn shrugged. "Well, it was on the table but since Burt owns a car shop, it fell through in the end."

"I'm almost afraid to hear the rest of this gripping story," the countertenor said.

"Dude, relax, I'm just winding you up," Finn said with a grin. "You should give both Blaine and me more credit, y'know," he added with a pout but Kurt didn't look in the least bit convinced so he decided to drop it. "Anyways, when Blaine asked me about you, I thought of Rachel-"

Kurt crossed his arms. "Oh, now _that's_ promising. And _so_ flattering."

Finn waved an impatient hand at him. "-and then I thought of exactly the opposite of her. I know you like expensive clothes and shoes and stuff but inside, it's not what matters to you. So I told Blaine he should go with something from the heart…that it doesn't have to be big, flashy or expensive, it just has to be something that's uh, real and uh, shows his feelings and stuff…and I also told him he should have a back-up plan, best a really expensive scarf."

Kurt stared at him soundlessly.

"Did I…tell him the wrong thing?" Finn asked, his tone unsure.

"No, I-" Kurt stuttered, trying to hide how moved he was. "That's actually really…sweet and insightful, Finn."

"I resent the surprised tone in your voice, dude."

"It's not surprise," the smaller boy clarified. "It's me trying to figure out whether I'm more scared or touched by how well you've come to know me."

"Dude, no worries, you're still a great, big mystery to me," Finn assured him with a lopsided smile. "I mean, I'll never get why you cry at chic flicks or don't like football or pay so much attention to your clothes…actually, it's just this one thing-," he said softly and gingerly placed a hand over Kurt's heart, "-I _do_ get about you."

"And that's more than enough, Finn," Kurt replied, drawing a shaky breath and lightly patted Finn's hand.

The taller teen smiled. "That's…that's good." He nodded seriously and withdrew his hand, feeling awkward all of a sudden. "So, uh, yeah."

Kurt shook his head, his eyes glossy as he cracked a smile and tiptoed to ruffle Finn's hair. "I swear, no one can say so much sophisticated things with so few simple words."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Was…that a compliment?"

Kurt chuckled lightly. "Don't be silly."

Finn rolled his eyes. "I feel _so_ appreciated right now, dude."

The smaller boy gave him a peevish smile. "I aim to please."

"So you're gonna help me deal with Rachel, then?"

"You do know 'aiming to please' is just an expression, right?"

**XxXxXxX**

"Finn, I am perfectly capable of re-adjusting your costume! I've dealt with this since I was two and won my first artistic design contest!"

Finn shot his girlfriend a hesitant look. "Uh, sure, Rach, but I'd really rather have someone who actually reaches my shoulders get it fixed."

"Or you can just keep still and let me do this!"

"Rach, it's kinda hard to stay still when you almost took my ear out with scissors ten seconds ago!" he protested.

She huffed. "I lost my balance. It's not my fault you're so tall and this stool is so unstable."

"Unstable?" a voice echoed from the door and Finn sighed in relief seeing Kurt leaning against the doorway, eyebrow raised and a smirk playing on his lips. "Are we talking about Rachel's personality?"

Rachel moved her hair to the side with a pout. "My personality is perfectly stable. I can't help it if I get passionate about things," she replied haughtily. "There's no need to be mean about it, Kurt."

The countertenor raised an eyebrow and stepped further into the dressing room. "It is when you're trying to take my brother's ears off with a blunt tool."

Rachel looked at the scissors in her hand and back to Kurt with reproach. "They're sharp! And it was just one ear!"

Finn looked at his girlfriend with wide eyes.

"Oh, that makes it all right, then," Kurt replied and took the scissors from his friend's hand. "Let someone who actually _has _fashion sense and knows how to use scissors handle this," he added.

Rachel was about to protest when her jaw dropped as she looked over Kurt's shoulder and into the far end of the corridor.

"Is that Puck?" Finn asked with a frown, following her gaze and Kurt turned around, curious.

"He looks really hot," Rachel muttered and they both looked at her, perplexed. "Did…did I just say that out loud?" she said mortified and when Kurt nodded she hid her face and ran off just as Puck came up to them.

He looked curiously at Finn. "What's bothering her?"

"Leather," said Finn, looking after Rachel with an expression of mixed amusement and surprise. "She hates leather and stuff. She's a vegetarian."

"I know that." Puck rolled his eyes. "But it's not real leather," he said. "The budget's too tight and I had to give real leather up or Rory'd have to star in elf stockings…and nothing else."

"How generous of you," Kurt remarked as Finn made a muffled sort of noise.

"Do you want me to go and tell her?" Puck offered, sounding exasperated.

"Uh, no," Finn uttered. "She wants to be alone, with her, uh..."

"Vegetarianism," Kurt supplanted innocently.

Puck looked at them dispassionately. "You two are the least skilled liars in the world," he said. "And I include Britt in that statement."

"Then you'll know that I'm not lying when I say fthat you look completely ridiculous," Kurt said. "Faux leather trousers, Puck? Really?"

"I always wanted a pair!" Puck said with a pout. "Besides, I look really hot in them."

"Nausea..." Finn said weakly. "Building...inside me. Must...be sick in bucket."

"You have no taste," Puck said to him coldly, and turned to Kurt. "You think I look hot, don't you?"

"There is absolutely no way for me to answer that that would not get at least one person angry at me," Kurt replied diplomatically.

Puck smiled smugly. "You fear your love for me," he said. "Don't worry, I understand but I can't help it that I'm an irresistible stud."

"I don't care if you're an irresistible slut," Kurt said, rolling his eyes and turned to his stepbrother. "I think I might need that bucket when you're done with it, Finn."

"You're funny, Hummel," Puck said, narrowing his eyes. "But I think I'm gonna stop wasting my sexy vibes on you two hopeless dorks and try out the new El Puckerone look. The make-up chic was totally ogling me," he said with a grin and swaggered off.

"I think I'm really going to be sick now. That woman's at least forty," Kurt said as they both looked after him. "Why are you friends with him again?"

"Hey, he's a good friend! He makes me sick, too, but at least he agreed to be Han Solo to my Luke Skywalker!" Finn replied defensively. "You'd never do that for me!"

"While I highly doubt he did it for you," Kurt replied, crossing his arms, "-you're right about one thing. I'd give up a kidney for you but I draw the line at wearing ridiculous, outdated outfits."

"This outfit's a classic!" the taller boy objected. "It's not ridiculous!"

The countertenor raised an eyebrow at him. "Tell that to the white pantyhose you're wearing."

"Dude, it's not _pantyhose_! It's desert pants!"

"If you say so," Kurt replied wryly and shook his head, taking his stepbrother's costume in. "Still, one has to admire your guts for agreeing to wear this in public and appear on state TV in it."

Finn swallowed. "Um, when you put it like this-"

The smaller boy chuckled. "Finn, I'm just teasing. Besides, you can't bail now. Artie would have your liver for breakfast. Also, do I need to remind you that you walked the main hall of McKinley _in nothing but your underwear_? This should be a piece of cake in comparison."

"Thanks for bringing that one up," Finn said sourly. "Really helpful, dude."

"My pleasure," Kurt replied with an innocent smile.

The taller boy shot him a sideways look. "So, are you gonna help me fix this," he said, indicating his torn tunic, "-or d'you wanna make fun of me some more?"

"Tough choice but I think I can pull off both," Kurt replied wryly and stepped closer to assess the damage. There was a tear on the back of Finn's collar and one of the tunic arms was almost torn off completely at the seam. "What were you _doing_, Finn?" he asked with a frown, shooting him an incredulous look. "Wrestling with a bear?"

"Uh, n-no," the other teen stuttered. "I was just trying to get that cool whirling thing going with my light saber…that one you do with your ninja swords."

"Oh, Finn." Kurt shook his head, trying to hide a smile as he started to work on the first hole in the costume. "I guess we're lucky no one got his eye poked out."

"Not lucky. I waited till everyone was gone."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and Finn huffed.

"What, I can be perspiratory, too!"

"I don't doubt that." The countertenor chuckled. "But I think you mean _perspicacious_. And I doubt that lamp shares your opinion," he added indicating the several miserable pieces of glass and plastic sticking out from the waste bin.

"Yeah. I have no idea where it came from; I just made one move and bang."

"Ah, yes, I forgot how much lamps have it in for you."

"About that…I was thinking and could you teach me the swordy thing some time?"

"Of course. As soon as I get myself full body armor."

"You're funny," Finn said sourly.

"Stop pouting, it's not a good look on you," Kurt scolded him softly with a sigh. "Of course I'll teach you, you lummox. Now stand still or I'll end up sewing your sleeve to your back."

"I don't think Artie would appreciate it."

Kurt chuckled and went back to work. After a moment's silence, he shot his stepbrother a curious glance.

"So, how's your quest for the perfect gift going?"

Finn sighed despondently. "Not so good, man. I thought I finally nailed it yesterday but Rach wasn't as thrilled as I thought she would be."

"Nothing with a three-digit price tag, I gather?"

"Uh, no," Finn confirmed with a deep sigh. "You know how you told me it should be something heartfelt and sweet? Well, I went with that and got her a donation of an African sow pig to help feed a family."

"You gave her a pig," Kurt said slowly, stopping sewing to look at him.

"Yeah, the one in that commercial we watched a couple of days ago," Finn clarified. "I thought Christmas was supposed to be about giving so I figured she'd appreciate a gift which, y'know, gets her to give to others."

"Yes, the perfect gift for a materialistic vegan."

"It was stupid. I'm an idiot, I know." Finn said morosely. "I should have just gotten her the earrings."

"You're not an idiot, Finn. That was incredibly sweet and thoughtful," he assured him vehemently. "It's a shame Rachel didn't see that. I can't believe how selfish and short-sighted she's being."

"She told me I was embarrassing myself."

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Kurt said sympathetically. "Do you want me to tear her a new one? BFFs or not, no one messes with the Hummels."

Finn blinked, looking at him in shock.

"Finn?" Kurt asked suspiciously. "You're looking at me like I grew a second head."

"I- I'm a Hummel?" he asked slowly.

Kurt spoke this way, like they were _real _family, so rarely that whenever he did, it caught Finn off guard. Although they were closer than they had ever been before and Finn considered Kurt his best friend, he still felt there was this wall between them, with Kurt always holding back and keeping him at a safe distance. Not that Finn could really blame him, he had messed up a lot when it came to their relationship and had hurt the other boy on more than one occasion. Kurt wasn't without fault, either, but Finn could have handled things so much better if he had only pulled his head out of his ass in time. So with everything that had transpired between them, he knew he was incredibly lucky to have the relationship with Kurt he had now and he had no right to expect anything more. Only he couldn't help that he did. He wanted them to be real brothers and he sensed Kurt wanted that, too, even though he was rarely open about it. So those moments when the other boy let it show meant more to him than he ever thought.

Kurt let out a soft laugh, dragging him out of his head. "Of course you are, Finn," he said with fond affection.

The taller boy grinned. "Thanks, man," he said and hugged him tightly.

"Finn, I am not your personal teddy bear!" Kurt protested, pretending to resist but he couldn't help putting his arms around his brother. "Or maybe I am," he added with a resigned sigh as Finn clung to him even tighter.

They stayed like this for a while before the countertenor pulled back a little, a twinkle of humor in his eyes.

"You know, I wouldn't be so excited if I were you," he said. "Just wait till you meet Aunt Marge. And Uncle Tony. And cousins Meg and Ryan."

"Meg _and_ Ryan? Seriously?"

"Twins," Kurt explained with a wry smile. "Guess whose fans their parents are. And that's the most sane thing about them, naming two of their kids after one actress."

"Dude, you're not gonna discourage me," Finn said. "I mean, _you're_ a Hummel. Any family that produced you can't be that bad."

Kurt shook his head and brushed a soft kiss over the taller boy's temple. "Keep it up and _I'll_ have to get _you_ diamond earrings."

"Diamond earrings?" Finn grinned. "I don't have my ears pierced, can I go with a bracelet instead?"

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt pulled up at the Hudmel driveway and killed the engine, sitting back and taking a while before getting out. It had been a long week and for all the excitement, he was also happy it was over. He looked out the windshield but he didn't really register anything, his eyes going out of focus. He wasn't thinking about anything specific, just savoring a rare moment of peace before he delved into the frenzy of winter break and Christmas preparations.

His eyelids were starting to get heavy when he caught movement in the corner of his eye. Straightening up, he tried to make out the shape but it was no use in the dim light of December twilight. He frowned and got out, warily making his way towards the front yard. When he passed the line of thujas separating the garden path from the lawn and went out into the front yard, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Finn Hudson, what in McQueen's name are you doing?"

He came up closer, amusement fighting with irritation on his features as he took in the sight of his 6'3" stepbrother entangled in multicolored Christmas lights from head to toe.

"Oh, hi, man," Finn replied turning around carefully, the lights limiting his movements. "I'm decorating the outdoors tree."

"You sure about that?" Kurt asked, one eyebrow arched. "Because it looks like someone mistook you for a Christmas tree and decided to decorate."

"I was trying to disentangle the lights but-"

"-you decided to try them on first?" the smaller boy finished wryly.

Finn narrowed his eyes at him. "Dude, I'm glad you're finding this funny-"

"Not funny," Kurt corrected cheerfully. "Hilarious."

"Well, that's great but I could really use some help, y'know."

"Is that so?" Kurt crossed his hands. "Tough luck because I'm supposed to be helping Carole with baking right now. And as I recall, we were supposed to trim both trees tomorrow. Why couldn't you wait?"

"Well, I wanted to help with the preparations somehow but Mom kinda threw me out of the kitchen so I though I could do this."

"Now that's a surprise. How many trays of cookies did you eat?"

"Hey, I didn't eat anything! I was trying to help out!" Finn hedged. "I wanted to cook-"

"That's never a good way to start a sentence, Finn."

The taller boy pouted. "You really have that little faith in my cooking abilities, bro?"

"You have no cooking abilities," Kurt said flatly. "There are amoebae on Saturn that could boil a better egg than you."

"I can make grilled cheese!" Finn protested.

"So can an elementary schooler. And they don't burn it."

"I can make bacon."

"I taught you."

"I can-" he began and stopped. "Okay, you have a point," he admitted.

Kurt nodded, and turned to go into the house.

"Um, Kurt?" the taller boy called after him. "How about that help? You're not gonna leave me here like this, are you?"

The countertenor stopped. "I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind-" he trailed off, a smile creeping onto his face when he saw Finn's puppy dog look. He sighed. "Just give me a few minutes, I'll go change."

"Oh, so I'll be here for another hour."

Kurt shot him a sideways look and got inside. Having changed, he swung by the kitchen where Carole was bustling around.

"Oh, hi, honey," she said with a smile that was so like Finn's that Kurt just had to smile right back at her. "Back from your date already?"

"Yes," he sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Blaine had to drive to Dayton to pick up his aunt from the airport."

"So he's getting an aunt for Christmas this year?" she asked wryly.

"You can say so," Kurt said with a chuckle. "Thank God any of the Hummels aren't coming over this year. Aunt Marge is a force of nature…well, a force of nature that drinks herbal liquors and smells of mothballs. It's a deadly combination," he said with a shudder.

Carole chuckled. "Well, the Hudsons are no better, I'm afraid. The long limbs and a complete lack of coordination? Let's say it's in their blood."

Kurt smiled. "Speaking of Hudsons wreaking havoc, are you aware what Finn's up to?"

She sighed. "I hope not setting anything on fire. I told him to go start trimming the outdoors tree."

"You _told_ him to do it?" he asked incredulously.

"Throwing him out of the kitchen wasn't enough. I had to get him occupied somehow or I don't know what he'd have come up with. He wanted to _bake_, Kurt," she said with horror. "Told me he wanted to impress you," she added, humor underpinning her voice. "You're a bad influence on him."

Kurt smiled. "Sorry about that, Carole."

She chuckled. "You should be. The next thing I know, you'll get him to do his own laundry and I'll get a heart attack."

The countertenor laughed. "Don't worry, not even _I'm_ that good," he said. "Anyways, if you're good here, I'll go help Finn before he really does set something on fire, like himself."

Carole beamed at him. "Thank you, honey."

When he came out, he saw his stepbrother managed to disentangle himself from the lights and was standing next to the tree with a frown. He was either deep in thought or slightly constipated. With Finn it was sometimes difficult to tell.

"Finn, this really isn't rocket science."

"Dude, I know but I wanna make it right! I was just in the process of-"

"Oh? What part of the process? Contemplative?"

"Like I have any idea what that means," Finn replied with an eye roll. "I was trying to find the best side to start with so that the end of the cable reaches the socket when we're done."

"Oh," Kurt uttered. "That's actually quite…thoughtful, Finn."

"Dude, I'm totally hurt by the surprise in your voice."

Kurt chuckled and stepped closer, examining the lights discarded around the tree. "Let me make it up to you, then. Grab the other end," he ordered.

"I gave Rachel her Christmas present," Finn announced after they had worked in companionable silence for a while.

Kurt cast him a curious glance. "You're alive, so I guess it wasn't too bad."

"Yeah, man." The taller teen smiled. "It actually went really well. I bought Rach those earrings but she gave them back and donated the money to the Salvation Army."

"Oh. Did you get her a personality transplant beforehand?"

Finn chuckled. "Nah, man. Rachel's kinda crazy but she always comes through in the end. And this year I think we both learned a valuable lesson."

The countertenor met his gaze, genuinely interested. "And what's that?"

"Just…be thankful for what you have and realize that there are many others that aren't so fortunate? How…how's that?"

Kurt smiled. "I couldn't have put it better myself, brother of mine," he praised but then his face grew serious. "Seeing all those homeless people, all the kids in the shelter…it really was a lesson for all of us. It puts our problems in perspective, doesn't it? I mean, we fret over Glee, Sectionals, NYADAs, scholarships…but those people don't have _food to eat_," he said morosely and looked at Finn. "And we came this close to bailing on them. And when I think that _Coach Sylvester_ was the moral center in all of this…"

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I mean, she could be slashing the tires of arts instructors over the land but she chose this," he reflected. "Maybe she's changed."

They looked at each other. "No way," they said in unison and laughed.

When they were done trimming the tree, there was one thing left to do.

"Ready?" Kurt asked with a smile before turning the lights on.

"Yeah," Finn said expectantly with a grin, the cool air peppering the skin on his face and the hairs on the back of his neck standing up at attention as if to salute Ohio's cold, harsh winters.

Kurt nodded and plugged the lights in. He came up to Finn and they stood arm in arm admiring the multicolored tree, the lamp lights standing out against the dusk surrounding them.

"Wow," Finn uttered. "This is really pretty, man."

Kurt raised an eyebrow, examining the haphazardly placed ornaments and lights critically. "I don't know about pretty but it's…something different," he said, looking for the right words. "Oddly adorable and slightly unconventional-"

"You mean like us?" Finn asked with a grin.

The countertenor turned towards him, his eyes bright. "Rarely, but you do have your moments, Finn."

The taller boy grinned. "You mean like this?" he asked, reaching his hand out and pushing a handful of snow into Kurt's hair.

"What are you doing!" the countertenor screeched, looking ten seconds away from strangling him. "Sweet McQueen, my hair!"

The taller boy laughed but took a precautionary step back. "C'mon, man! This is about bonding and brotherly things and stuff!"

"Brotherly?" the countertenor echoed, his eyes blazing. "I'll show you brotherly, you brute! I'm going to murder you!" he threatened, pointing at Finn with his finger and the taller boy raised both of his arms up, trying to hold back the laughter.

"I swear you still look great, man," he hurried to plead, and against his will, Kurt laughed.

"I hate you," he stated, failing at sounding mad and not being able to fight the urge to smile.

"Yeah, hate you, too."

* * *

So, this is it! I hope you liked it, guys!

I hope you had yourselves a very merry Christmas, everyone:)

If all goes well, I should have some winter Furt for you later this week, I hope you'll stay tuned.


	56. Those Winter Sundays

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Check.

**A/N: **A bit of winter free-styling before 'Yes/No' (which I have yet to see) with some references to the 'Yes/No' promo – I think you'll know what I'm talking about soon enough into the story:) Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

**Those Winter Sundays**

It was a morning of magic, with fresh, fluffy snow bursting through the clouds and covering the surroundings with a blanket of cold, smooth white. It concealed the dirt lying uneven over the roads and sidewalks and piled upon the ground, the delicate flakes grasping onto the branches of the bare trees and bushes. Icicles clung to the drainpipes and roofs adding sparkle to the winter scenery.

Fully dressed to go outside, Finn stood at the living room bay window and looked outside with an unusually thoughtful expression. To him falling snow had an uncanny quality of muting the noise and chaos, something which allowed him to be comforted for an hour or more. Today, Finn needed the comfort and peace more than ever, what with the life-altering decision he was chewing over in his mind and heart.

He glanced over his shoulder at Kurt, who huffed and puffed and made a show of dressing up in the hallway, trying to postpone leaving the warmth of their home as much as possible. Finn sighed. He had no idea how Kurt would take his budding decision but he had an inkling he wasn't going to like it. For now, though, he decided to shove it to the back of his mind because _snow_. It definitely warranted making a snow man, some skating on the impromptu skating rink Burt had made for them in the backyard, and _definitely_ a snow fight. Kurt didn't have to know for now. He thought they were only going outside because Finn had promised Burt to clear the snow out of the driveway and walkways. Kurt wasn't too keen on the idea but he finally agreed to go with him, on condition that he have nothing to do with snow.

"Dude, why do you need three different parkas and stuff, then?"

Kurt gave him a withering look. "Because that's what's worn this season," he replied, his chin raised. "Just because they're winter clothes, it doesn't mean I should go out and roll around in snow in them," he added with a shiver of horror at the very thought.

"But wouldn't it be cheaper to buy just one if you don't plan on really using them anyways?"

The countertenor narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you suggesting I cut down on _clothes_?"

"Right," Finn backtracked with a shake of his head. "What was I thinking. If you had the choice between starving to death and buying a Gucci&Banana jacket, you'd still choose the latter, wouldn't you?" he asked wryly.

"Let's not exaggerate," Kurt huffed. "I'd only starve to death for a McQueen jacket."

Finn chuckled and stepped outside with a satisfied sigh. He smiled into the sky and stood motionlessly in awe, head lifted to the sky and arms out, breathing deeply as the flakes lightly touched his face, attaching to his lashes and tickling his nose.

"If you stay like this a while longer, we won't have to make a snow man," came a snide remark from his left and Finn cracked one eye open at his stepbrother.

"How about I make a snow man out of you? See what your furry jacket's really worth?"

A look of alarm passed over Kurt's face. "Don't you even dare, Finn. I'm serious."

"So am I," the taller boy replied with a lopsided smile and took a meaningful step towards him.

"Remember I've got a really loud, piercing voice and I'm not afraid to use it," the countertenor warned him. "And I may have my sais on me," he added for good measure because the other teen didn't seem discouraged.

Finn stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. "You're bluffing. This thing you're wearing is so tight I'm amazed that you fit _yourself_ into it, let alone a pair of _swords_, dude," he pointed out, narrowing his eyes.

"You'll never know for sure," Kurt replied. "Are you willing to take that risk?"

The taller teen shot him an evil glance. "I'll get you yet," he promised. "Now grab the other shovel, I promised Burt we'd clear the front yard before lunch."

Kurt crossed his hands. "You promised _you _would clear the front yard, as I recall."

"Well, didn't you come out here to help me?"

"I came out here because someone has to keep an eye on you, you huge dork, so that you don't hurt yourself with...with that," he said, motioning at the snow shovel Finn was holding.

"Dude, I can handle a shovel!" the taller teen protested and Kurt shot him a sceptical look. "You do know I'm almost eighteen not twelve, right?" he asked irritably.

The countertenor smirked. "Could have fooled me."

"Whatever," Finn mumbled gruffly and turned back to the shovel, starting on the walkway to the house.

Kurt sighed. "You're going to sulk all day if I don't help you, aren't you?"

"I don't sulk," Finn objected. "I'm just not talking to you anymore today."

The smaller teen rolled his eyes. "I'm so not dressed for this," he muttered under his breath, grabbing a shovel and digging it into the snow.

Finn smiled to himself. Kurt might know which buttons to push with him but he sure had learned his lessons when it came to his stepbrother, too. No matter how many times Kurt denied it, he really cared about Finn and hated when they were at odds about as much as Finn.

"Not that I'm talking to you again or anything," he hedged, "-but if I were, I'd ask if there's seriously a dress code for _clearing snow_?"

"If there is, I'm sure it doesn't include Prada jackets. Such as the one I'm wearing now," Kurt replied pointedly, throwing a shovel-ful of snow to the side. "Not that I'm replying or anything," he added with a grunt as he dug the shovel in again.

Finn watched him work in small but systematic shoves for a while before coming over and stopping him. "Dude, you, um, don't really have to help me with this. I was just sulking for, uh, fun."

Kurt leaned against the shovel and gave him a quizzical glance. "Ignoring your warped idea of _fun_," he said, "-I was just teasing you earlier. I want to do this. This is as much my driveway as yours, after all," he added and aimed another shove at the snow.

"But- but your jacket!" Finn uttered.

The countertenor stopped mid-motion and raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, now you're starting to worry me."

"I just- I don't want to force you into this because I did say I'd do this on my own and this shovel looks bigger than you and-" he trailed off under the weight of the countertenor's gaze.

Kurt put his arms on his hips. "I really hope that's brotherly care and not doubt in your voice, Finn."

"Uh-"

"Either way, I can't decide if I'm touched or offended," Kurt continued, narrowing his eyes at him. "No, definitely offended," he decided and dug the shovel into the snow with a powerful thrust. "Finn Hudson, you of all people should know there's more to me than meets the eye. I used to be on the football team and a Cheerio, for Gucci's sake! I may not be big and burly but I have my muscles."

"Don't I know," Finn muttered, massaging his still sore side, which Kurt had punched _on accident_ when they were fighting for the remote the previous evening. "But, dude, you're much-"

"So-" Kurt cut him off, "-unless you want an encore from yesterday, you'd better stop right now."

"I have no idea what an 'oncorr' is but I get the feeling I'm not going to like it," Finn said and shot him an appraising look, an idea forming in his head on how to make this more fun. "Okay, you want to do this? I'm not gonna stop you," he said raising his hands in the air. "In fact, how about a race, Mr. Muscly Muscle?" He frowned. "Try saying that one fast three times," he said with a lopsided grin that Kurt didn't reciprocate. "So, um. The race. Whoever clears the most snow around the house and driveway wins."

"Wins _what_ exactly?"

"Um…undying glory?"

Kurt crossed his hands on his chest. Finn sighed. "-and the right to harshly brag and tease all week?" he added weakly.

The smaller teen gave him a semi-evil smile. "I am so going to enjoy this, Hudson."

"Bring it on, Hummel."

_Two hours later…_

"I think we broke the world record on clearing snow," Kurt said, panting and leaning heavily against his shovel as he looked at the perfectly de-snowed driveway and front yard.

"I'm so beat, man," Finn complained. "I don't think I can move a finger."

"Considering you spent half of the time on your knees...I'm almost sorry I won."

Finn balked at that. "You didn't win! It was a draw!"

"You broke your shovel, Finn," Kurt pointed out.

"But I still got the job done!"

"With your hands!" Kurt objected but then his expression softened. "It was actually really impressive. So, I think I'm going to give you this one, brother of mine. It's a draw."

Finn heaved a sigh of relief and then waved at the man he noticed standing on the porch. "Hi, Burt!"

"Hi, boys," the elder man said warily. "You…did all this with shovels?"

"Yes," Kurt confirmed, proudly puffing up his chest, upon which Finn pushed a finger straight into his sternum with a chuckle, causing him to deflate.

Kurt shot him a murderous glance and was about to return the favour when Burt's voice stopped him.

"It's great work but-" the elder Hummel let his voice hang and scratched the back of his neck.

"But what, dad?"

"We have a brand new snow blower in the garage."

Kurt and Finn looked at each other, their expressions unreadable, and suddenly they burst out laughing.

Burt gave them a quizzical glance. "Everything okay there?" he asked, flabbergasted. "Your Happy Meals not short of any fries?"

"No, no fries needed, dad," Kurt replied in between bouts of laughter.

Finn pricked up his ears, though. "Speaking of fries, I could use lunch."

Kurt shot him an exasperated glance. "Food never stays out of your mind, does it?"

"When I sleep, I guess," he added with a grin as they followed Burt inside.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Well, I did have this dream when I was the Burger King and you-"

"TMI, Finn!" Kurt uttered as he shut the door behind them.

Taking off his jacket, Finn shot his stepbrother a hesitant glance, remembering there still was this matter he wanted to talk to him about. "Um, after lunch, could we talk in private?"

Kurt looked confused. "In private? Why?"

The taller boy pushed his hands into his pockets. "It's just something private, okay?" he said, his voice raised slightly. "What's the big deal anyway, man?"

"That's what I'm asking you," Kurt shot back. "You're being weird."

"_You're_ being weird."

"Okay, now you're being weird and stupid," the smaller boy decided, irked. "And I don't have time for this right now. I've seriously got to shower now, there's lunch and then I've got a date with Blaine I have to prepare for," he recounted. "So unless you don't start talking now, it will have to wait."

Finn remained silent, which Kurt took as a 'no' and stalked off, muttering something about yetis and only children. Finn looked after him with a set expression. He had solved his issues with Blaine and they were more or less friends now but he hated being once again put on the sidelines because of him, especially since Kurt had a date with him almost every day. Not today, though.

**XxXxXxX**

Dressed to the nines and humming to himself, Kurt grabbed his car keys and strolled out into the biting cold that lay beyond the house with a cheerful wave to his parents. Finn had put on The Sulk again and was nowhere to be seen but Kurt was determined to shove it to the back of his mind and not let it mar his perfect date with his perfect boyfriend. He would deal with his stepbrother later.

Or not.

He stopped half-way to his car when something icy cold and powdery exploded against his shoulder, causing him to stagger, more out of surprise than due to the force of the impact.

"You have got to be kidding me," he said to himself and looked around but there was no one in sight. He made another step, only to jolt up in shock as another snowball made contact against the side of his neck.

"That's it!" he growled, his heart rate kicking up at the sheer cheek of the attack and the icy snow melting against his head and shoulder. "Finn, I know it's you! And I want you to know you're going to die a slow and painful death!"

The only response he got was a full-blown barrage of snowballs. He raised his messenger bag over his head for impromptu cover and sprinted for the Navigator, running around the hood as fast as he could without slipping and vaulting himself inside with a relieved sigh. A couple more snowballs hit the car but soon the attack ended and Kurt smiled evilly. Then he fished his phone out of his bag and shot a quick text: YOU ARE SO DEAD. That should keep Finn on his toes.

Satisfied and already planning his revenge, he turned on the engine and released the clutch to back out of the driveway. He didn't make more than a yard when there was a crunching noise from the back of the car and it wouldn't move an inch more. Hoping it wasn't a trashcan or their weird next door neighbor, Kurt groaned in irritation and warily got out, still on the look-out for snowballs in case Finn hadn't given up yet.

He rounded the car and gaped. Someone, as in _Finn_, must have dumped a huge pile of frozen snow behind the Navigator, whose both back wheels were now lodged deep into it. He hoped the bumper wasn't scratched or cracked. Then he straightened, his eyes blazing.

"Finnegan, come out RIGHT. NOW!" he yelled in the general direction of the thujas growing nearby. "I'm not kidding!"

From his hideout near the trash cans, Finn considered his options but he knew it was best to face the music. Judging by Kurt's expression, the Funeral March. He took a deep sigh and emerged from behind the trees.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kurt exploded as the taller teen made his way towards him.

"Uh, that it would be fun?" Finn stuttered, knowing he was only digging himself a deeper grave. "Sorry."

"_Sorry_?" the countertenor echoed incredulously, anger rippling hotly along his spine. "Sorry's not going to cut it, Finn!"

"Dude, it's just a prank!"

"A prank? This could be dangerous!" Kurt exclaimed shrilly. "I could have damaged my car _and _I'm late for my date with Blaine, which means I'll have to speed and in these conditions may get myself in a car crash and die! Have you thought about _that_? Of course not! Because you're a dim-witted goofball who can't plan a couple of minutes ahead!"

Finn's head snapped up at that. "I-"

"No!" the other boy cut him off harshly. "You don't get to talk! All you get to do is grab a shovel and dig my car out this instant! And pray nothing's damaged."

Finn obeyed with a frown and worked in silence but Kurt wasn't done yet.

"You think I like yelling at you?" he asked.

"D'you really want me to answer that?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You need to grow up, Finn," he said, his voice still raw with anger but somewhat softer. "You can't live your life like this. You're not a child anymore and you have to start behaving appropriately." He sighed. "And the worst part of it is, I can't even remember how many times I've had this conversation with you already and you still won't listen! You have no plans. Hell, you don't even have a plan to have plans! All you do is play your stupid video games and goof around! I had to force you to even _look_ at college applications! What's wrong with you, Finn? Do you really want to waste your life and end up forty, alone and living in our parents' basement?"

Finn shot him a look that was a mixture of hurt, anger and something deeper Kurt couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Right now I want out of this conversation," the taller boy said in clipped syllables and threw the shovel away, driving it into a small snow bank on the side of the driveway. "There. All done. You can go now and forget all about my hopeless, dim-witted ass."

Kurt took a shocked breath. "Finn, that's not-"

Finn wasn't listening to him, though. When he spoke, he wasn't even looking at him. "After all, that's what you want, right? To be rid of me and my silly, goofy problems and not have to deal with them anymore? Well, you got it. I'll be out of your hair sooner than you think," he added bitterly and stalked off.

Kurt looked after him with a frown. He really didn't like the finality and desperation in his stepbrother's voice.

"Finn?" he called after him. "What does that _mean_? Finn!" he shouted but the other boy had already disappeared inside the house.

The countertenor considered calling off his date and going after him but he knew that in this state Finn wouldn't talk to him anyway. It was best to let him stew for a couple of hours first. Throwing a concerned look at Finn's window, he got into his car and drove off. So much for perfect.

**XxXxXxX**

The sky became dreary and overcast. Finn looked out the window, thinking it reflected his sullen, dark mood rather well. He shivered and put his blanket closer around him, the cold from outside seeming to seep through his skin and chill him to the very bone.

He focused back on his TV and killed another orc. He groaned in irritation as his character got thrown off a cliff _again_ and was about to chuck the controller aside when he heard a knock on the door. He decided to ignore it and smiled darkly at his character's bloody remains on the screen as the person on the other side discovered the door was locked.

"Finn, I know you're in there. Open the door."

"Go away."

"No. Not until we talk," came an adamant reply.

Finn let out an impatient sigh. "I don't want to talk to you. I'm busy."

"Yes, I'm sure sulking must be hell on your calendar."

Finn scowled at the door. "I'm not gonna let you in just cuz you're extra annoying, man."

"I was hoping you were going to say that."

Finn threw the door an incredulous glance. "Y-you were? How?" he asked, curiosity temporarily winning over his anger.

"I'll tell you if you let me in."

Finn snorted and turned back to the TV. "Not gonna work, dude."

"It was worth a try," Kurt said with a sigh. "You leave me no choice, then."

"W-what does that mean?" Finn asked warily. "You're not gonna blow up the door or something, are you?"

"Really, Finn?" A soft chuckle came from the other side. "I think you've been playing those games of yours for too long," he quipped. "Besides, I have much more efficient means of persuasion than explosives. Like making your ears bleed."

"Oh, you're gonna sing Celine Dion in French again?"

"No. Something even better," came a snide reply. "It's my secret weapon. I call it 'Barbra Sings 50 Cent'."

"But...I like 50 Cent."

"I know. But believe me, you won't anymore after I'm done."

Finn hesitated, looking at the door with a frown. But then there was humming and he swallowed, reaching for the door. No issues he had with Kurt were worth suffering through this particular torture.

He threw the door open and turned his back on the other teen, heading straight for his bed and diving onto it. He figured if he put all his pillows over his head, he could ignore Kurt until he gave up and left.

He felt the bed dip slightly to the side and then Kurt was taking the pillow from his head away. He reached out his hand, trying to retrieve it but the smaller boy wouldn't let go and a small scuffle ensued.

"Give. It. Back!" Finn panted in between pulls.

"Only if you talk to me!" Kurt shot back and pulled from his end.

"I'd rather kiss Coach Sylvester!" the taller teen said through gritted teeth and gave the pillow a forceful tug.

"That can be arranged!" the countertenor shot back and tightened his grip on the pillow even more just as Finn gave it another powerful pull and suddenly a stream of feathers and down shot into the air, engulfing both boys like heavy snowfall.

They looked at the remains of the pillow in their hands and then at each other, speechless. Neither was sure who began laughing first but soon they were both cracking up. And then Finn ambushed Kurt with a mischievous spark in his eye and started tickling his sides, ignoring the other teen's shrieks and attempts at pushing him off.

"Finn, please! Don't…stop," he uttered in between giggles.

"Don't stop? Okay," he replied with a grin and continued his torture.

"Enough, please!" Kurt cried, tears of laughter streaming down his flushed face. "Oh my God, I can't breathe!"

Only then did Finn lay off, shooting him a satisfied grin as he sat up.

"Was that really necessary?" Kurt asked gruffly, sitting up and straightening his clothes. Sighing, he eyed the feathers now blanketing the floor and gauged the extent of the clean-up to come.

"Dude, you tore up my favorite pillow," Finn said. "I had to avenge it."

Kurt chuckled lightly and then gasped as he caught his reflection in the window pane. "Oh my dear Gucci!" he uttered, tugging at his hair in a futile attempt to get out the feathers that had lodged themselves in between his perfectly coiffed strands.

"You look kinda cool, man," Finn tried. "In a chicken kind of way."

The countertenor gave him a sidelong glance. "Not helping, Finn," he muttered and got up. "I'm going to try to do something about the animal on my head," he announced. "I'll be back," he added from the door.

"Did you just quote 'Terminator'?"

"I was thinking a song by the Beatles but I guess such references fly right over your head, don't they?"

"Beetles can sing?" Finn asked wryly, just to tease Kurt some more.

"Not going to work," the countertenor replied, stopping in the door. "I know you know who the Beatles are, I made you watch 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Magical Mystery Tour' with me."

"One of the most traumatic experiences of my life," Finn said with a shudder.

Kurt shot him a sideways look and disappeared.

When he came back twenty minutes later, he still wasn't quite satisfied with his hair but at least it was more or less featherless. He sat next to Finn, who had a new pillow over his face and pretty much hadn't moved since he left him. Kurt sighed and pushed the pillow off the other teen's face, looking down at him with concern.

"I'm sorry for being callous and for saying all those things earlier," he said. "You had something serious on your mind and were obviously troubled and I shrugged it off because in my head I was already with Blaine. I guess I deserved the snow attack."

"Dude, you really didn't," the quarterback objected. "It was a stupid stunt and I'm sorry. I really didn't think. If you'd had an accident or something…I spent so much time in the window waiting for you to come back safe and sound that my legs cramped up."

An unconscious, gentle smile found its way onto Kurt's face as he listened to Finn. The taller boy let his head drop, fidgeting with his thumbs.

"So, um, how did your date go?" he asked sheepishly. "Blaine was very angry I got you late?"

Kurt let out a light chuckle. "He was angry all right but not because of you. Well, because of you but not the way you think," he clarified. "I wouldn't shut up about you until he practically threw me out and told me to not come back until I've made things okay with you."

"Wow, I think I owe Blaine a big thanks. For kicking you out, that is," Finn added snidely. "I wish I'd seen that."

"Asshole," Kurt muttered, elbowing him in the side.

"Come on, you love me and my…asshole-ness."

The smaller teen rolled his eyes. "I definitely love your linguistic skills," he quipped and let his eyes drop. "So…we're okay?" he asked coyly.

"Yeah, man. I know you get so worked up because you actually care about me and what happens with me," Finn said. "Which is more than I can say about my girlfriend right now."

"Rachel and NYADA," Kurt said with a knowing nod.

"It's all she ever talks about," Finn complained. "I know she loves me but sometimes it seems like our relationship is only about her," he continued morosely. "It's like she doesn't even care what happens with me as long as she gets what she wants…And I've got a future to think about, too, and I could use some help but she won't listen."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about earlier?" Kurt asked, realization hitting him. "And I blew you off. Oh God, I'm such a jerk! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, man. I know you're there for me."

"Always. Apart from the times I'm being a jerk, that is, in which case you're allowed to pummel me with snow until I stop," Kurt said wryly and gave Finn's arm a gentle squeeze. "So? What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I've been thinking about what you said today and all those times before that and I decided to take your advice. It's something that I haven't considered before but-" he trailed off as Kurt began to stand up. "Dude, where are you going?"

"Finn Hudson thinking things through? Taking my advice?" he said wryly. "I'm going to check if the hell's frozen over."

The quarterback rolled his eyes and grasped Kurt's wrist, pulling him back down onto the bed. He considered the smaller teen for a while, weighing the matter in his mind.

"Just…don't freak out on me, okay?" he said carefully. "I've been thinking about this ever since the football debacle but it's something different and-"

"Oh come on, Finn." Kurt chuckled. "Nothing you say is going to freak me out. It's not like you're planning to run away with a circus or join the Army, right?"

Finn looked at him wide-eyed and Kurt's face fell. "Finn Hudson, you are not running away with a circus," he stated categorically.

"Of course, not, dude!" the taller boy spluttered. "But-"

Kurt took a deep sigh and smiled. "Geez, for a minute there I thought you were serious-" he trailed off and did a double take, "Wait, what _but_?" he locked eyes with Finn and suddenly he _knew_. "Please no," he uttered. "Please tell me you aren't seriously considering joining the Army," he added, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Why? Would that really be so bad?"

Kurt was quiet for a while. It seemed like a very long while.

"Um, dude? You in there?" Finn asked tentatively.

Kurt looked at him steadily. He felt like someone had punched him in the gut and he couldn't catch his breath. "Finn." He finally spoke slowly, deliberately. "I beg you, please tell me this is a joke."

The taller boy scratched the back of his neck. "It's not, man. I'm joining the Army."

Kurt's face was pale, carefully set. "No."

Finn raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"Exactly what it means. _No_," he emphasized. "I'm not letting you."

Finn let out a mirthless chuckle. "Dude, you can't forbid me."

"Oh yeah? Watch me!"

The taller teen ran a hand through his dishevelled hair and discovered a feather left there from the fight. He took it out and looked at it ruminatively for a while before raising his eyes and meeting Kurt's half-frightened, half-angry gaze. It did something to him, to see Kurt like that, and he hated to be the cause of his distress but this was his life and his decision.

"Listen, man, it's not like you and Rach are gonna be around next year, and like you said, I have to do something with my life," he tried, his tone placating. "You'll both be chasing your dreams in NY and I'm happy for you but where does that leave me? Cuz let's face it, I'm not smart or talented and I'm sure as hell not a good football player. Still, I think I can do better than deliver pizza or wait tables at Starbucks in NY."

"And by 'doing better' you mean 'kill yourself'?" Kurt asked angrily.

"Dude, I'm not gonna _die_!"

"You can't be sure of that! It's not a video game! People don't have seven lives in war!" He was on the brink of hyperventilating but willed himself to continue. "How about your _dad_? Dammit, do I have to remind you about that? Your dad _died_, Finn! And what about Carole? What about your _mother_? Does she even _know_?"

"Uh…n-no, not yet," Finn stuttered in shock because yes, he had expected some sort of freak-out from Kurt but this was so much more and he didn't know if it was better or worse this way. "You're the first person I'm-"

"Did you think what it would _do_ to her?" Kurt interrupted him angrily. "How she'll cope without you? What will she do alone in a big city without your support? How she won't be able to focus on her classes and dreams or anything else because she'll constantly worry you're in some godforsaken place on the other side of the globe and might be blown into pieces every second?"

Finn blinked. "Um, dude…are we still talking about my Mom?"

Kurt shot him a sharp glance, his vision bleary with unshed tears. Finn's face broke into a sad smile and he brought the smaller boy closer, pressing his nose into his hair and taking a few comforting breaths.

"I'll be fine, Kurt. It's…it's all I've got now," he said and Kurt struggled against him but he held him tight. "Listen, NY and theatre school…these are your and Rachel's dreams…college is my Mom's, the garage is Burt's…everyone just keeps assuming things and making decisions for me. And I just want to be my own man, y'know, and have something _mine_. Like you said-"

Kurt took a ragged breath and pulled back from him. "Oh my God, this is my fault, isn't it?" he said, his eyes wide with horror. "I prodded and nagged at you to start thinking about your future and find something of your own and...you went and did just that," he said weakly, frowning off into space. Then his eyes snapped back to Finn. "Why did you listen to me? You should totally ignore what I say from now on!" he finished, hiding his face in his hands.

His stomach feeling like a clenched fist, Finn removed Kurt's hands and met his gaze. "Kurt, dude, for one, I always listen to you and always will cuz you're like, really smart, way smarter than me, and you always have my best interest at heart so-"

Kurt laughed bitterly. "Apparently not. I gave you the idea of going off and getting yourself killed on some desert."

"Dude, will you let me finish? This is just a meeting with a recruiter, nothing's set in stone yet," the taller teen said soothingly. "And I told you, I'm gonna be fine."

"You can't know that. You're the most uncoordinated person on the planet and you'll die and I'll never forgive myself and-"

"Kurt, man, calm down! You didn't give me the idea, okay?"

"Oh? Then tell me who did so I can go and skin them alive."

Finn looked down. "I don't think you'll get it...it's one of those things, it's a-"

"It's _what_?" Kurt asked sharply. "Too _manly_ for me to understand? That's what you were going to say?"

"No!" Finn objected. "Dude, I think I made it clear at the wedding and many times after that that I think you're more man than any other guy I know!" he said decidedly and Kurt lowered his eyes. "I was going to say it's a _Hudson_ thing," he continued more calmly. "I mean, my grandpa died in Vietnam, my dad in Iraq-"

"-and you're going to get yourself killed in Afghanistan because there are no Hudson body parts there yet?" Kurt cut him off harshly. He knew he was being blunt and indelicate but this was too serious for wishy-washy and beating about the bush. He had to get through to Finn and he had to do it fast if he wanted to have any chance of succeeding.

"Dude, not cool!" Finn complained.

"Oh, I'll show you not cool! I'm just warming up!"

For a moment they were kind of glaring at each other, but then they really weren't anymore. Kurt was the first to break the silence.

"I'm sorry if I'm being harsh but I'm not going to apologize for anything I've said," he stated. "Because this is the stupidest idea in the history of stupid and I'm not going to stand by and watch you throw your life away on some desert. If you got hurt-"

"Kurt, you can't always protect me or control whether or not I get hurt," Finn said, and now that he'd gotten started, it was like he couldn't stop. "I mean, I'm totally psyched that you want to, and I wish I had done a better job of protecting you. Hell, I wish I had done _anything _to protect you. But you can't protect me from my life and my own bad decisions."

"It's not going to stop me from trying," Kurt replied, a fierce look in his eyes. "I…I don't want to lose you, Finn."

"Dude, will you stop with the losing and dying!" Finn threw up his hands in the air helplessly. "I'm not going anywhere yet and besides, you've got Blaine now. And Rachel and Tina and the whole Glee club…it's not like you're all alone, man."

"I know but you-" his voice cracked on the last word and he picked up Finn's hand and squeezed it. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

Finn squeezed back. "I know. Me too."

"I don't want you making any rushed decisions just because you feel like you have to. This is your life, Finn. You only get one of those," he said emphatically. "So promise me you'll at least think it through?"

"Yeah," Finn agreed. "I can do that."

"And talk to someone, preferably older and smarter," Kurt added. "If you don't want to tell the parentals I get it but then how about Miss Pillsbury? Or Mr. Schue? I know you've always treated him as a kind of a father figure," he continued softly and the taller teen nodded. "Maybe he can beat some sense into your thick skull," he finished wryly.

"I wouldn't count on it, man," Finn replied, giving him a lopsided smile.

"And if the dying-alone-in-the-desert part doesn't convince you, just think about what you'll be wearing. Dying is one thing but dying horribly dressed?" Kurt feigned a shiver of horror. "You'll go to hell for sure," he said jokingly. "I mean, _fatigues_? They're so out and plain and just _ugly_," he emphasized. "Even I'd have troubles rocking that look," he added, a hint of his characteristic smugness creeping into his voice and Finn felt a smile tug at his lips at hearing it.

"Dude, you'd look good in anything," Finn decided. "And even if you didn't, I'd, uh, still love you."

"Cheesy, Hudson."

"You'll come to miss it yet."

"Don't start again. Besides, that recruiter as much as sees you, he'll send you off with a disability pass."

"No need to be mean."

"That's what brothers are for," Kurt shot back. "Oh, and Finn? Love you, too, you dork."

* * *

So, I hope you've enjoyed this! That scene in the promo really resonated with me and I had to take it up here. Thank you again for the reads, faves and/or reviews, and please feel free to keep telling me what you think. I love hearing from you!

Till next chapter:)


	57. 3x10: About a Boy

**Odds And Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Obviously.

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay in posting this, I hope the length manages to make up for my tardiness:) Also, thank you so much to all my wonderful, wonderful reviewers and sorry I didn't get to reply to you personally this time - I promise to make up for it:)

**A/N2: **So. 'Yes/No'. It wasn't a perfect episode but it was a solid piece of Glee after a loooong hiatus and so much better than the Christmas mess so I'm not complaining:) Becky totally stole the show (I mean, _Helen Mirren _;) plus it was such a huge episode for Finn! It yanked tears out of me at least three times: Finn finding out about his dad, his final speech and Becky's second monologue. The proposal I so didn't see coming but it was such a Finn-thing to do…All in all, not bad but when I think of Finn...I think I'll get myself a whole cheesecake and will let you read now. Meet you at the bottom;) Enjoy!

PS. Some 'Blades of Glory' references b/c I just couldn't help myself - I swear, this movie is as ridiculous as it is funny.

* * *

**About a Boy**

It was a dreary winter afternoon and Kurt Hummel was doing the laundry. It was a thing not unusual in itself in the Hudmel household if it hadn't been for the fact that it put him in the basement, which had made all the difference that day.

The said difference took form not twenty minutes later in a certain lanky football player, who stomped down the stairs and barged into the basement while barely sparing Kurt a glance.

"Hello to you, too," the countertenor said with a frown when the other teen crossed the basement and still didn't acknowledge his presence. He crossed his arms. "Where were you?"

Finn let out a sound that was a mixture of a grunt and a harrumph and headed for the far end of the basement.

"Your classes ended two hours ago and you didn't show in any of them," the smaller teen said dryly. "I had to cover for you and if Carole finds out- Are you even _listening_ to me?"

No reply at all.

Taken aback by the taller teen's brusque manner, Kurt watched him stop with his back to him in the farthest end of the basement and kneel over something. Kurt knew what it was even without coming closer. The chest with Christopher Hudson memorabilia. The countertenor felt a tremor of unease steal over him as he watched Finn push the lid open and start feverishly rifling through it, scattering most of the contents around and taking out those Kurt knew were the most valuable to him – a helmet, a watch and the suit he wore to the Fabrays two years ago.

His curiosity piqued, Kurt stepped closer and put his hands on his hips, scowl grade three in place.

"Do you mind telling me why you barged in here like some wild animal and are turning the basement upside down?"

Finn let out another inarticulate sound. He was standing in the shadow and Kurt could see only the outline of him, and the faint glint of brown hair in the darkness.

He rolled his eyes. "Finn, I know you're not one for big words but could you at least manage a monosyllable so that I know you're not brain-damaged or haven't entirely changed into a gorilla?"

"I wish I had," Finn replied darkly, finally turning around and coming forward into the light. As he did, Kurt's breath caught in his throat.

Finn looked so...broken. His shoulders were hunched, his lips formed a tight, grim line and there was a deep crease between his brows. His eyes were the worst, though. Normally a warm chocolate brown exuding humor and life, now they were almost black and lifeless, giving Kurt a look so haunted that it made him shiver. It was like some frigging Harry Potter-esque dementor had sucked out all life out of Finn. And he had just made a Harry Potter reference. Beautiful. Blaine was so going to pay for the last week's marathon he had made him sit through.

Focusing back on Finn, Kurt cleared his throat. "Okay, you're officially starting to worry me."

Finn threw him the briefest of glances before going around him and disappearing up the stairs.

"That's it," Kurt mumbled irked and sprinted upstairs after him.

He caught up with him in the living room. Finn was standing near the mantelpiece, his hand reaching out.

"Finnegan Christopher Hud-" he stopped seeing the item in the other teen's hands. "Finn!" he gasped. "What are you doing?"

The other teen ignored him, grasped the urn with the ashes of Christopher Hudson tighter and barged through the kitchen door into the snow-covered backyard in nothing but his tee.

"Where are you going?" Kurt asked angrily as the door closed on the other boy. He ground his teeth but rushed after him. If Finn didn't get pneumonia and die, he was going to strangle him with his bare hands.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" he yelled, going through the door. "I will so-" the rest of the sentence died on his lips as he took in the sight before him.

Finn was standing with his back to him in the middle of the backyard. He had thrown the helmet and the suit onto the ground and was holding the urn in front of him. Keeping silent, Kurt came a couple steps closer, something in Finn's stance making him tense and uneasy.

Then Finn raised the hand with the urn and Kurt's eyes widened as he realized what the other teen was about to do. Without a second's hesitation, he rammed straight into his stepbrother, taking them both down but managing to pry the urn out of Finn's hands before he smashed it. They tumbled a couple of feet before coming to a halt in a mass of hands and legs. Finn let out a frustrated grunt.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he hissed and Kurt didn't know if he was more shocked by Finn's feral expression or his language. "Gerroff me!"

"No!" Kurt exclaimed, quickly recovering from his stupefaction and jumping away.

The taller boy let out a growl and lunged for Kurt but the countertenor was faster and dodged him.

"What are _you_ doing?" he panted angrily.

"That's none of your business! Give that back!" Finn replied angrily.

Kurt's grip on the urn tightened protectively. "I don't think so."

Finn made a feint to the right and came back at him from the left, tackling Kurt and taking them both down again. He reached for the urn but the smaller boy only held it tighter to his chest as they rolled on the ground, snow exploding around them and getting in their eyes and hair and under their clothes.

As they came to a brief halt, Kurt knew he had to act fast. He was more agile but Finn was stronger and was going to overpower him in a matter of seconds. Unwillingly, he clenched his teeth and landed his free fist into his stepbrother's side, which seemed to sober him up a little and he loosened his grip enough for Kurt to disentangle himself and spring to his feet.

"Finn! Stop it!" Kurt panted watching Finn try to get up after him and slip back into snow. He held the urn tightly against his chest and moved a couple of steps back, his eyes intent on the taller boy. "Have you completely lost your mind?"

Finn sighed in defeat and got up to his knees. He let his eyes lock for a moment with Kurt's before hanging his head down.

"I can't do even this right," he said darkly, burying his hands in the snow even as a powerful shiver ran through his body.

Something was very wrong. He was going to tear Finn's head off for this later but right now, Kurt swallowed and moved towards his stepbrother slowly. When Finn made no move to grab him, he tentatively touched the other teen's back, feeling the tension coiled and ready to explode.

"Come on," he said, his tone much softer and gentler now. "Let's get inside. I can feel myself catching pneumonia just by looking at you."

Finn didn't raise his head but let Kurt draw him up to his feet and lead him inside and to his room. He guided him to his bed and threw a blanket over him.

"I'll be right back," he assured him softly.

He went down and put the urn back onto its place, giving it a thoughtful glance. Then he skipped to the kitchen and whipped up two mugs of scalding milk, not bothering with cooling it because he didn't want to leave Finn alone for a second longer than absolutely necessary. Not a quarter of an hour had passed when he was back in Finn's room.

He stood awkwardly on the threshold with two mugs in his hands and let his heart break a little as he watched Finn silently sob. Suddenly, the taller boy raised his head and his red-rimmed eyes landed straight on Kurt. He squirmed awkwardly, feeling like he was intruding on something very private.

"I- I can leave," he stammered nervously, dropping his gaze.

Finn seemed to be weighing something in his mind for a while before he asked, "Is that milk?"

Kurt tried not to smile.

"With honey, just the way you like it," he said. "And I also brought some cookies," he added, gingerly stepping inside and placing the mug and the plate on Finn's nightstand. "I'll just leave them here."

He made to retreat but the taller boy's hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Will you stay?"

"Will you promise not to attack me this time?"

"Sorry 'bout that," he mumbled and lowered his gaze. "You okay?"

Kurt sighed and sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh.

"I'm fine," he assured him.

"That's…that's good," Finn said awkwardly, not meeting his gaze. "That was one fine tackle, man," he added, his hand wandering to massage his right side, which had gotten the brunt of Kurt's hit. "I didn't know you were that strong."

"I'm not," the countertenor replied. "But I couldn't let you play dodge ball with your father's remains," he added pointedly. "What was that about, Finn? Temporary insanity? Demonic possession? Rabies?"

"Uh, no. Just…rage," Finn replied, drawing his knees up and lying his head down. When his shoulders began to shake, Kurt laid a hand on his head. The taller teen looked up and Kurt glimpsed the pain in his eyes before Finn turned his head to wipe his nose with the hem of his t-shirt.

"Talk to me, Finn," he prompted him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a witty repartee," Kurt replied with a sniff. "And if you think you can put me off or discourage me, think again because I'm not moving from here until you tell me what's going on."

Finn sighed. "I don't even know where to start, man."

"Well, the begging's always a good idea."

The taller teen nodded slowly. "I'm a loser," he stated with finality. "How's that for a beginning?"

"Finn, we've been through this-"

"This isn't another pity party," the taller teen cut him off. "This time I have proof."

"You have proof," Kurt echoed, one skeptical eyebrow shooting up. "And what's that?"

"My DNA."

Kurt blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"It's that stuff that makes us who we are-"

"Finn, I know what DNA is," Kurt interjected with an eye roll. "I just don't get what it has to do with anything."

Finn took a shuddering breath before saying, "For one, mine's totally messed up."

Kurt swallowed. "Finn, sometime in this conversation you're gonna have to start making sense."

The taller boy ran a hand through his hair, taking a moment to gather his scattered thoughts. "I told Mr. Schue about the Army recruiter thing."

"Good for you," Kurt said with a nod. "I hope he beat some sense into your thick skull. Preferably with something big and heavy," he added. "Like a truck."

"He did me one better," the quarterback said. "He told Mom and Burt everything and they all cornered me at school today."

Kurt frowned. "He shouldn't have done that," he said and gave his stepbrother a scrutinizing gaze. "Is that why you're so upset? Mr. Schue betraying your trust?"

Finn let out a bitter laugh. "Dude, I so wish that was it," he said and stared off into space. After a while he shot Kurt a wondering glance. "D'you know why I wanted to join the Army so much?"

"Wanted?" Kurt asked, the past tense not escaping him. "Does it mean you don't want to anymore?" he asked hopefully.

Finn sighed and ignored his question. "It was cuz of my dad."

Kurt nodded. "While I still strongly believe it's reckless, it's also very brave and honorable. Your dad was a hero and you want to be like him. I...I get that."

The taller teen's face hardened. "Well, I just found out that if I _really_ want to be like my dad, I should buy myself a pound of heroin, go to Cincinnati and crash out in some alley."

"You- _what_? What are you talking about?"

"My mom has been lying to me all these years. My dad wasn't a war hero. He was a frigging junkie who got dishonorably discharged and left me and my Mom to do drugs until he dropped dead."

Kurt's mouth dropped open and he took a while before stuttering, "Oh my God, Finn…I- I'm _so _sorry."

"Mom says it was because he had PTSD and couldn't cope with the post-war stress and stuff but I think he was just a coward who chose the easy way out," Finn continued, his tone venomous. Once he started, it was like some dam had opened inside of him and he wanted all the frustration, disappointment and hurt out. "He couldn't even look me and Mom in the eye, he just up and left and never came back. He didn't even care what would happen to us, how Mom would pay the bills-"

"Finn, of course your father _cared_ about you. He must have."

"Dude, are you _defending_ him?"

Kurt's gaze turned steely. "I am. And I refuse to believe your father was a bad man. You know why? Because of you. You're such an innately good, generous, well-meaning person – it can't all be just Carole."

Finn scoffed. "Whatever," he uttered, shaking his head in a self-deprecating manner. "I built my whole world around him, y'know," he continued after a while, the back of his throat aching a little as it all sunk in. "I grew up thinking he was the best and bravest man on Earth…that he died pulling some innocent people from rubble or shielding his men from bullets with his own body. And now I learn he was the exact _opposite_ of all that," he spoke bitterly, staring ahead. Then he turned to Kurt, who was watching him warily. "Why did Mom have to tell me? I was perfectly happy with the Dad I thought I had!"

"But it wasn't really him, Finn," Kurt said sadly. "He was just a figment-"

"And what's wrong with that? I was perfectly okay with my…my figwort!"

Kurt fixed him with a steady glance. "Would you really rather she kept the truth from you and fed you more lies?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe she thought you were mature enough to handle the truth," he offered. "And you _are_, Finn," he added emphatically.

"Like hell I am! Dude, I watch cartoons and make slingshots out of jockstraps!"

Kurt blinked. "That's…disgusting, Finn. And so TMI."

"See? I'm so not ready to know this."

The countertenor sighed. The silence was back, filling the space between them. Both boys waded through their thoughts and feelings, separate inside their heads.

Finn broke the silence first, "And I have it all in my genes and DNA! I'm gonna be a junkie or unstable or stuff and-"

"Finn, there's no _gene_ responsible for becoming a junkie," Kurt objected sternly. Under normal circumstances, he would have turned this into a mocking contest but not this time. "PTSD is a genuine, serious _illness_. Your dad was _sick_. Very sick. He had witnessed terrible things no person should ever witness…and he snapped. The drugs…that was just the result. Maybe he thought that was the only way he could deal with it."

Finn's face, already stony, went even harder, like it was hewn from rock. "That doesn't change the fact he left his wife and two year old son and went and died in some dump in Cincinnati!"

"And maybe he left because he didn't want you to remember him like that?" Kurt asked, irked. Finn scowled. "Gosh, why are you so determined to think the worst of him!"

"And why are you to think the best?" Finn shot back. "You didn't even know him!"

"I wish I had," the countertenor replied steadily. "I wish I'd known the man who fathered you, Finn, because he must have been a good man. A good man who when forced to witness the atrocities of war couldn't turn his feelings off and just ignore it and it broke him. A man who loved his son so much that he came back to him but when he saw he was bad for him, he left so that he wouldn't have to witness his father destroying himself. That's how _I_ choose to see Christopher Hudson and so should his son."

Finn opened his mouth but nothing came out and he just stared silently at him.

"He loved you, Finn," Kurt added softly with a gentle half-smile. "I'm sure of it."

Finn's eyes drifted off into space and it took a long while before he focused back on Kurt. He seemed to have come to some sort of a resolution because there was a certain peaceful and composed quality to his features now.

"I guess it will take time before I'll stop hating him…but at least now I feel like I _can_ get there," he said. "Thanks, man. And thanks for not letting me destroy the urn. Mom would freak. I owe you."

"Big time," the countertenor agreed. "You can start with a Versace tee for the one you ruined when you wiped the snow with me."

"Uh, this is gonna take all my allowance, isn't it?"

"Probably more," Kurt replied brightly.

Finn sighed. "Sometimes I think you care more about clothes than people."

"Only if they're Prada or D&G," Kurt replied breezily.

Finn groaned. "You know what the worst thing is? That I actually _know_ what these names mean. We've been stepbrothers too long."

"Finn, don't be stupid. You're not really my stepbrother."

The taller teen's face fell. "I...I'm not?" he asked miserably.

"No. You're my _brother_, you lummox. And I care about you more than about some scrap of fabric, even if it was hand-sewn by Alexander McQueen from beyond the grave," he added softly. "Even if you insist on wearing flannel and dating one of the most irritating girls on the whole planet."

Finn nodded. Taking a sip of his milk, Kurt scooted up to the headboard and Finn snuggled comfortably against his shoulder.

"Yeah, me too. I mean, care. About you. Even if you use big words all the time and dress weird and kinda girly-"

"Whoa, who said anything about the honesty being mutual?"

Finn chuckled lightly. "Dude, it's nothing bad! I like all these things about you, even if they confuse me sometimes cuz without them you wouldn't be you. I mean, the clothes and stuff, that's one thing, but there's more to you...you're like Shrek!" he said, his face lighting up. "He was like an...an onion with all those layers-"

"Have you just compared me to an _ogre_?"

"No, I compared you to an onion!"

Kurt scoffed. "Well, in that case give me a moment while I swoon!"

"Dude, let me finish! I mean, you've got all those layers! And underneath it all there's a really generous, sensitive and good person," Finn emphasized.

Kurt blinked, speechless and Finn ran a hand through his hair, gathering his thoughts.

"Maybe it's good my dad died so early," he said with a sad smile. "I didn't get to have him as a role model, I got you instead. It took me a while to realize it but I wanna be like you, man. I mean, not gay cuz I like liking girls but I wanna be strong like you. I wanna be all 'I don't give a crap what you think, I'm confident in who and what I am and I know what I want'."

Kurt gave him a warm smile. "I think you're getting there."

"Dude, right now the only place I'm getting to is Loser Town," Finn said. "It's like I'm in this limo with every plan and dream I get backfiring in my face."

"I think you meant lim_b_o," Kurt corrected with a smile. "Did you ever think that the reason all those doors are closed is so that you could find the one that leads you to the perfect solution?"

"Dude, did you just speak in Katy Perry lyrics?" he asked with a frown. "Blaine has so corrupted you."

Kurt blushed but his expression remained set. "The fact that you even _know_ that was Katy Perry?" he shot back without losing a beat. "It appears I'm not the only one Blaine has corrupted. And he's my boyfriend. What excuse have you got?"

"The walls in this house are pretty thin? And dude, Katy Perry is not the only thing I've been hearing from your room when Blaine comes over," he added with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

The countertenor felt his cheeks grow an even more interesting shade of red. Finn chuckled, happily expecting some sort of retaliation, either verbal or physical, but Kurt just sat next to him, regarding him silently.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind when I wanted to get your mind off things-" he began with a sigh, "-but if discussing my meager sex life cheers you up-"

"Dude, by the sounds of it I wouldn't call it meager," Finn cut him off, a roaring laughter coming out of his chest as he watched the growing mortification on his stepbrother's face. "You should see your face, man! I wish I had a camera."

"And I wish I had an axe," the smaller boy retorted upon which Finn began laughing again.

Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. He pulled a pillow out from behind his head and swatted Finn, which only made the taller teen laugh harder. Kurt struck another blow. Finn fell out of the bed and the countertenor watched him retreat, deciding to throw the pillow after him. Finn picked it up and headed for the door.

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

"Give me the pillow back."

"Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"Come and get it."

**XxXxXxX**

Finn wasn't much of a thinker but it seemed all he did for the next couple of days was just that. The culmination came as he stood in the shower and his mind did all sorts of loops and back flips until the point he was positive his head was about to explode or ready to qualify for the Olympics gymnastics team. Gritting his teeth, he switched the water to ice-cold and regarded the cold jet for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and stuck his head under the spray-

"Kurt!" He at least managed to turn the water off and put a towel around himself before he stumbled out into the hallway. Kurt came running up the stairs with an expression that suggested he expected Finn to be on fire or worse.

"What? What is it? What ha-"

"I've just had an epininny!"

Kurt's lips quirked upwards. "I'm really not sure if I'm the one you should be telling about this…All I can say is that if it doesn't subside within the next 24 hours, you should go see a doctor."

"No, dude!" Finn said impatiently. "I've just had like, an _idea_!"

The smaller teen arched an amused eyebrow at him. "Oh my, this is serious. I don't think you should wait 24 hours after all."

"You're funny," the taller teen observed, giving him a scowl. "Anyways, man, I've been thinking about what you said-"

"Oh, this can't be good."

"Dude, I'm so gonna rat-tail you if you don't stop interrupting!"

The countertenor crossed his arms. "With what? The towel you're using as a skirt right now?"

Finn gave him a thoughtful glance. "Maybe," he replied with a grin and Kurt rolled his eyes. "So, I've been thinking," he continued, pushing a hand through his damp hair, "-and I need your help."

"Why do I get a feeling I'm not going to like this?"

"Actually, I think you will," the taller teen said.

Kurt regarded him doubtfully. "Have you finally come to your senses and decided you'll let me do a make-over of your wardrobe?"

"Dude, I know you think flannel shirts are like, hazardous for health or something but I like them."

The countertenor shook his head. "Six billion people in the world and I get you."

"I know, you're one lucky guy," Finn replied with a cheeky smile. "So, are you gonna help me?"

"Are you gonna tell me what's this about?" Kurt shot back. "Or better yet," he added with a sigh, "-go…finish your shower and then we'll talk. And, uh, put some clothes on. Afterwards. Not. Not in the shower, I mean – oh, just go already."

Finn grinned and went back to the bathroom. Half an hour later, dressed and ready, he plomped down on Kurt's bed, feeling his stepbrother's half-curious, half-wary glance on him from the vantage point at his make-up-moisturizing thing. Suddenly all his earlier bravado left him and he started fidgeting with his thumbs.

As the silence began to draw out, Kurt crossed his legs primly and cleared his throat.

"Finn, I know my Berber is gorgeous but it doesn't hold the secrets of the universe."

The taller boy looked up with a confused frown. "Why would I think baby food held secrets of the universe?"

"I'm talking about the carpet, dummy. _Berber_."

"Oh," Finn said slowly and let his eyes drop again, lapsing back into silence.

"I see you've been working on your repartees," Kurt remarked snidely, trying to elicit some kind of a reaction from the other boy but he continued to sit silently staring down. The countertenor sighed. "Finn, seriously, if you like the carpet so much-"

"Uh, no. I mean, yes," Finn stuttered. "Sorry, dude. It's just, it's a big thing and I don't really know how to say it. It's…mind-bottling. I'm still processing it."

"Processing _what_ exactly?" he asked, then did a double take. "Did you just say mind_-bottling_?"

"Yeah." Finn nodded. "You know, when things are so messed up and crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle?"

"This…actually makes sense," the smaller teen admitted and gave his stepbrother a scrutinizing glance. "Is this about your dad, Finn?"

The taller teen shrugged. "Yes and no. I mean, it's not so much _about_ him as _because _of him," he clarified. "Um, so…you know how Mr. Schue took me to pick out an engagement ring for Miss P?"

"I still can't understand why on Earth he would take _you_," Kurt replied with a scoff, "-but yes, I do."

"Yeah, I don't get it either. I mean, everyone knows that you're the one to ask for help with stuff like this…that's why _I'm_ asking you."

Kurt blinked. "Wait, you...want to go shopping with me? As in go to the mall and visit stores that aren't Hollister or Foot Locker?"

"Yeah. I mean, there's this one store I wanna go to," Finn said and took a deep breath. "The jewelers. I want you to help me pick out an engagement ring," he said on one breath.

"An engagement ring?" Kurt echoed. "But I thought you said Mr. Schue already got one when he was with you."

"He did," Finn confirmed. "This one…it's…it's not for Mr. Schue."

"It's not?"

"Um, no. It's…it's for me. I mean, for Rachel."

Kurt stayed silent for a good long while. Maybe he should get his ears checked because there was no way Finn had just said what he thought he said.

"Pardon?" he finally uttered. "You want to buy an engagement ring? For Rachel? _Why_?"

"Well, usually the reason is to propose."

"I still don't think I'm getting this," Kurt said slowly, eyes narrowing. Finn couldn't possibly mean- his breath hitched. "You want to _propose_ _to Rachel_?"

"Yeah."

"This is one of those Finn-things, isn't it? You've got a bet with Puck and are trying to get me punk'd. Again."

"Dude, there's no bet," Finn denied. "I love Rachel more than anything and I want to make it official."

"Oh. My. God," Kurt said slowly, his eyes wide with shock. "You're serious. You're actually _serious_," he uttered, his eyes widening. "I think I need to sit down."

"Dude, you're already sitting."

"Then I think I need to lie down."

As he did, Finn watched him intently. "You okay, man?"

"No, I can't say that I am," Kurt muttered, staring off into the ceiling. After some minutes, he suddenly shot up into a sitting position and focused back on Finn. "You want to _get married to Rachel_?" he asked shrilly.

"Yeah, man. That's...that's what I said."

"Finn, have you lost your mind?" the countertenor said exclaimed. "I mean, this…this is a really big thing. A really really big thing and…You're seventeen, for Christ sake!"

"Almost eighteen," Finn corrected dryly. "And I'm not crazy."

"I beg to differ."

"Dude, why are you getting so worked up about this anyway? It's not like you're the one proposing! Calm down."

"_Calm down_?" Kurt echoed emphatically. "You drop a nuclear bomb on me and expect me to be _calm_? You might have as well paraded around the room wearing stripes with polka dots!"

"Uh, okay. I'm not sure what that means but don't freak out," Finn asked pleadingly. "Seriously. Cuz if you start freaking out, I'm gonna freak, too."

"And you should!" Kurt shot back and took a deep, calming breath. "Finn, I don't know what exactly you're expecting from me here but if you think I'm going to pat you on the head and say 'Attaboy!', I can promise you a world of disappointment right now."

Finn scowled at him. Maybe telling Kurt was a bad idea. He had no idea _what_ exactly he expected but he sure as hell didn't think the other teen would take it like this.

"Dude, I know it's a lot to take in but I expected, I dunno, at least _a bit_ of support before you started tearing me a new one?" he said, disappointment coloring his tone. "I thought we were supposed to be brothers," he added forlornly.

"We…we are. That's why I'm so worked up about this!" Kurt protested. "Finn, this is your whole life! And marrying so young- it will change _everything_. You both have so many plans, so many things you want to do and see...do you really want to give that up?"

"Yeah? And what are those plans exactly?" Finn asked, irked. "All I know is I _had _big plans and so did Rach. I was supposed to play college football and she was supposed to get into NYADA but the way things are turning out? I don't think it's happening. Everything I believed in, everything good in my life is either dead already or ending in a couple of months and the only thing left is Rachel. If I don't do something big, I'm afraid I'll lose her too and then I'll really have nothing."

"Finn…that's rubbish!" Kurt exclaimed. "You're so much more! You can do so many things!"

"Yeah? Like what? Run the shop as Rachel goes off to NY with you and I never see both of you again?"

"Finn, now you're being melodramatic."

"No, man. I'm just keeping it real."

Kurt sighed. "Finn, that's so not true-"

The taller boy threw his hands up. "You know what? Just stop, Kurt. Stop. I don't wanna hear another pep talk about how great and talented I am cuz I'm not!"

"Finn-"

"You're just like everyone else!" he burst angrily. "You have some…some warped image of me and you try to mold me into it. Well, guess what, I'm sick of it! I'm not a singer, I'm not a football player and I'm sure as hell not a dancer! I'm just another Lima Loser like my dad, and there's this one good thing in my life and you want me to give that up for some illusions that are never happening?"

"They're not illusions, Finn. They're dreams," Kurt said softly.

"_Fool's _dreams," the taller teen shot back harshly. "You know, with my dad being a junkie and Mr. Schue betraying my trust and Burt never really there...you're pretty much the only guy I have left to look up to, the only guy in my life I thought was _worth_ looking up to. But just like everyone else, you've been feeding me this crap about what a leader I am and what great things I'm gonna do! You lied to me!"

"I'd think twice before calling me a liar, Finnegan," Kurt said, his voice dangerously low. "I didn't lie to you, I _believed_ in you. I still do. Even if you don't want to!"

"I don't, Kurt," Finn replied, somewhat calmer. "And I want you to respect that, man. I- I'm sorry for calling you a liar, I know you mean well…but that doesn't change the reality."

"Finn, reality is what we make it to be!" Kurt objected vehemently. "It's ours for the taking and you're giving up when you haven't even really started yet!"

"Dude, that's all great when you're you – confident, talented and driven," Finn said as a bitter smile grew on his lips. "Me? I don't have anything special about me. I meant it what I said at Breadstix. But then Rach sang 'Without You' and I realized I was wrong – there's _one_ thing that's special about me and that's her. Is it really so bad I want to hold onto that and keep her before I lose her to New York and some preppy jerk with big hair and a bigger wallet?"

"No, Finn, but-"

"No buts this time, man," the taller teen cut him off. "I've already accepted this and I'm fine with it, why can't you? Can't you just be happy for me?"

The countertenor shook his head. "Finn…how can you expect me to sit back and be happy about you throwing your life away?"

Finn's eyes darkened. "Fine," he said, his lips tightening. "You know what? I don't care what you think. I'm doing this. And you can go to hell," he added and stalked off.

Kurt looked after him, his eyes welling up with tears. To see Finn so resigned, so bitter…he wondered if a heart could actually break because if it could, his just did.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn shot the shop assistant an awkward smile and considered the display, scratching the back of his neck. He wanted to feel good about this because he really loved Rachel and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her but Kurt's voice at the back of his head kept nagging at him.

"Stupid Kurt," he mumbled angrily. The assistant looked at him funny and he gave her a forced smile, quickly pointing at one of the rings.

"I'll- I'll take that one," he said.

"She won't like it," came from behind him. "I think we're going to need something more…flashy," Kurt sai dcommandingly in the assistant's direction as he came to stand next to his stepbrother at the counter. "The ones in the display in the back look promising."

The woman looked inquiringly at Finn but the taller boy nodded and she went to get the rings Kurt indicated.

"What are you doing here?" Finn asked, turning to face his stepbrother.

"Rescuing you from being mercilessly jabbed at by your future wife for the rest of your life."

"Huh?"

"These?" Kurt indicated the rings Finn had been examining. "They aren't even diamond. They're merely zircon, and poorly cut at that," he disparaged. "Now these-" he turned to the rings the assistant had brought from the back, "-these are the ones you buy to show a girl you love her."

Finn frowned. "They look the same to me."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You are _such_ a boy, Finn Hudson."

"Yeah, my cross to bear," he said with a smile and then did a double take. "Dude, since when are you okay with this? Last time I checked, you were tearing my head off and questioning my sanity."

The smaller teen sighed, his fingers running over the rings absent-mindedly before he looked Finn in the eye.

"I'm sorry about that, Finn," he offered, his eyes bright. "I didn't mean to react so harshly but you really have a way of driving me to the edge of sanity in record time, you know."

"Yeah, I know."

Kurt nodded. "I've been thinking about what you said…and while I'll never accept you're some talentless Lima loser because you're not, I'm ready to accept your choices. I should have listened to you more," he admitted with a frown. "You're your own man and you can make your own decisions. I'm not saying I'm going to stop arguing with you because you are one goofy dunderhead but I want you to know you can count on me. I'm going to stand behind you no matter what you choose to do with your life. So if this is what you really want and if it makes you happy, there's nothing left for me to do but help you pick a ring and hope you can forgive me," he finished with a soulful smile and plucked one of the rings out of its box. "This is the one."

"Dude!" Finn exclaimed happily and put his arms around the other teen enthusiastically.

"I take it you like the ring?" Kurt asked amused.

"You're the best!"

"Thank you. Now put me down before I still have some air left in my lungs, Finn Kong."

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." Finn moved away awkwardly and turned to the shop assistant, who was regarding them with a raised eyebrow. "I'll- I'll take this one," he said pointing at the ring Kurt had chosen. He turned to him. "You haven't just made me pawn my car for this, have you?" he asked alarmed.

"Even if I have, it's worth it, right?" Kurt gave him an innocent smile.

"Uh-"

"Now go get her."

* * *

And that's it, guys:) According to the leaks, Kurt won't be nearly as accepting of Finn's idea on the show but that's just my take and I hope you've enjoyed this:) If you have the time and desire to leave feedback, please do – it's always read enthusiastically and so greatly appreciated!

Until next time (I so can't wait for 'Michael'!).


	58. 3x11: Unstoppable

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still have nothing to do with Glee:/

**A/N: **Oh, Glee, I've missed you! To quote Chris Colfer: "Where else can a guy sing a song about a rat to a gay pirate?" lol

**Warning: SPOILERS for 'Michael' and a ramble ahead!** I apologize in advance but I couldn't help myself – there was so much going on! Anyways, if you're not interested, just skip this part, guys:)

The epi was a hot mess but once I squinted really hard and got over all the gaping inconsistencies and plot gaps (it is Glee, after all), I find I actually liked the episode more than not. For one, they fit a surprising amount of plot in between the musical numbers and there were some scenes I simply reeled at, one of them being Artie's "I don't want it to get better, I want it to _be_ better, NOW!" rant. I'm not usually very fond of the character but this time, Artie was the MVP of the episode for me:) The second star-scene was Burt and Kurt of course – I swear the world becomes a better place every time the're together. I had tears in my eyes. Burt and Kurt scenes like this are the best thing about Glee. And television. And life.

In closing, another quote: "If Kurt would have taped this to his junk, I would have never heard the end of it. We would have had a whole week of songs about it." LMFAO Seriously, Santana once again had the best line of the episode. She's totally co-MVP;)

**A/N2:** In case anyone gets confused, the chapters of 'Odds' are pretty much separate, stand-alone pieces – when I wrote the previous chapter I assumed Finn would tell Kurt about the engagement but in canon he obviously still didn't and this chapter goes with the episode.

Again, 'Michael' spoilers throughout.

* * *

**Unstoppable**

"Oh my GOD!"

"That's _blood!_"

"I'm gonna be sick-"

"We have to call 911-"

"Is he dead?"

"They must have put something in it, no way was this a normal slushie!"

"We should go Death Star on their prep school asses right now! Who's with me?"

"STOP IT!" Kurt's voice cut through the panicked din like a knife through butter. He looked around the New Directions, blue-green eyes blazing. "Stop it right now! All of you!"

Everyone quieted as the countertenor looked around them. "Calm down," he said, his voice back to its normal volume but not a notch less imperious. "We can all freak out later, right now Blaine needs help," he continued and turned his gaze on his stepbrother. "Finn. Can you drive us to the ER?"

"Yeah, sure thing, man."

"Puck, Mike, help me lift him up," Kurt ordered. "The rest of you, go back home. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I can."

Not even Santana wanted to invoke the ire of Kurt in this state so they dispersed as soon as Blaine was safely deposited in the back seat of Finn's truck, with Kurt cradling his head gently on his lap and whispering into Blaine's ear in a soothing voice.

"Is he, like, unconscious?" Finn asked concerned, starting the engine and looking at them in the rearview mirror.

"I got hit in the eye, not bashed over the head," Blaine replied weakly. His voice barely more than a whisper. and it was obvious he was in a lot of pain. "I wish it were the latter, maybe it wouldn't hurt so damn much."

Blaine using a curse word set off alarm bells in Finn's head and as he met Kurt's worried look, he knew his stepbrother was as worried. He stepped on it.

"Shh, don't talk," Kurt urged the black-haired boy softly. "We're almost there," he cooed into Blaine's ear.

When they screeched to a halt at the ER entrance, Kurt helped Blaine get out and tried to hold him up but the smaller teen was almost unconscious by then and stumbled heavily not two steps out of the pick-up. Finn was there before either of them knew what was going on.

"Here, let me," he offered softly, swinging Blaine into his arms.

Kurt gave him a grateful look and sped in front of them to call for help and soon they were engulfed in a swarm of nurses, shouting for doctors, gurneys and other things Finn had no idea what they were. Overwhelmed, he silently backed out and slumped down into a chair watching Blaine being carted off somewhere and Kurt talk to a nurse and then on his phone, probably with Blaine's parents and Burt or Mom.

He must have zoned out at some point because the next thing he knew there was a pixie cup with water hanging in the air in front of him.

"There is no spoon," he mumbled sleepily but the snort that followed definitely didn't belong to Agent Smith and it sobered him up. He looked up to see Kurt giving him the eye and he quickly straightened up, taking the water from him.

"Welcome back, Neo," Kurt said snidely, dropping into the chair next to him. Finn noticed he tried to keep light but his face was white as a sheet and there were worry lines etched all over his forehead as he spoke again, "Is there a place where you can't sleep?"

"Dunno, haven't found it yet," Finn replied and sipped at his water, his parched throat welcoming the soothing liquid. "So, how's Blaine?"

Kurt sighed, dropping his head into his hands before replying, "They won't know until they've done all the tests but it looks serious, Finn," he said, his voice cracking on the last words. "He…he may even lose an eye."

Finn blinked, rage and sympathy rising inside his chest. For Kurt's sake, he decided to tone the former down. For now. "Dude, don't freak out yet-"

"I'm long past the freak-out stage, Finn," Kurt replied with a mirthless smile.

"Did you even _have_ one?" the quarterback mused. "You were like, the only one who _didn't_ freak out. It was pretty impressive how you got everyone to shut up and listen to you back there, dude. You were like Darth Vader or the President or something."

Kurt let out a soft chuckle and leaned sideways, propping his head against Finn's shoulder, whose arm instinctively went around him to pull him closer. Kurt wasn't usually the one for random physical contact but Finn sensed this time he wouldn't be pushed away. He wasn't wrong.

"Is there any situation that you _can't_ make me laugh in?" he asked, shaking his head lightly.

"I- I'm sorry," Finn uttered nervously. He couldn't see his brother's face and couldn't gauge how angry exactly he was at him. "This is serious stuff, you don't need me being, well, me, awkward and goofing around and stuff. I can go," he added, making to stand up but Kurt held him down.

"That's exactly what I need, Finn," he convinced him, his head back onto the taller teen's shoulder. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be having a freak-out of epic proportions right now and I doubt the nurses would appreciate it."

"Yeah," Finn agreed, relaxing in the chair. "I wouldn't wanna cross any of them. The one over there? She looks like she can throw a punch."

Kurt chuckled again and Finn risked patting him over the head softly. To his surprise, the countertenor didn't protest and they spent the next fifteen minutes discussing the nurses and their ninja potential. At one point, Kurt's eyes zoned in on the clock hanging on the wall opposite them and he straightened up.

"Finn, it's getting late," he began. "You really don't have to be here with me. Blaine's parents should be here soon and I'll take a cab home."

The taller teen didn't move, resorting to shooting him a hurt glance. "You wanna get rid of me already?"

Kurt smiled. "I'm afraid I'll never be rid of you," he replied wryly. "And as crazy as that sounds, I don't think I'd like to have it any other way. But right now you should go. We have school tomorrow and we both know that if you don't get at least seven hours of sleep, you're going to be a complete troll in the morning."

"Look who's talking!" the taller boy protested. "It wasn't me who dumped a plateful of toasts on Burt's head because the radio was on too loud last week!"

"That was only because you'd face-planted into your bacon before Dad even turned it on!" Kurt shot back.

"It wasn't bacon, it was cereal!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It could have been goulash soup for all I care, Finn. That's not the point."

"It so _is_ the point, dude! I had to pluck Froot Loops out of my hair the whole morning."

Kurt stared him down, his mouth twitching upwards. "The point is," he emphasized, "-you're going to be a zombie tomorrow."

"Maybe I want to be a zombie," Finn replied, crossing his hands and pouting.

"You look like an overgrown thrid-grader right now," the countertenor observed dryly. "And I thought you hated zombies."

"Just cuz I kill them, doesn't mean I hate them."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him. "This conversation has taken a very disturbing turn."

"You started it. And I'm not going anywhere."

The smaller teen sighed. "You're going to be a stubborn jerk about this, aren't you?"

"That's like the pot calling the kettle a stubborn jerk, man."

To Finn's amazement, Kurt's face broke into a small grin, and it was like everything was suddenly brighter.

"Thanks, Finn."

"Um, are you thanking me for calling you a stubborn jerk?"

"Among other things," the countertenor said with a nod. "But above all for helping out and staying. Even when I tell you not to."

"Dude, I have made a long and eventful career out of doing what you tell me not to," Finn replied with a grin. "But seriously, there's no place I'd rather be right now," he added in a different vein, his tone deeper.

"This really means a lot to me, Finn," Kurt said. "I know Blaine's not necessarily your favorite person in the whole world and-"

"Are you kidding me?" Finn interrupted. "Dude, even if he wasn't your boyfriend, Blaine's my friend. He's a cool guy. We had our issues but we dealt with them. And even if we hadn't, after this? I mean, that slushie was for you and Blaine jumped in front of you and took it in his face. We all saw it. For that alone, I owe him big time."

Kurt's breath hitched in his throat. "Finn, that's-"

"-cheesy," the taller teen supplanted wryly. "Yeah, I know."

The smaller teen sniffled lightly, his eyes almost translucent. "Yes, that's what I was going to say."

Finn smiled at him knowingly, a spark in his eye. "I know."

**XxXxXxX**

Hovering on a pink cloud of happiness, Kurt watched his dad leave the choir room. He read the NYADA letter again and made to leave but as he was going through the door, he was pushed sideways and all air was knocked out of him.

Flashes of dumpster insides and Karofsky's angry face passed through his head and he steeled himself for the-

Hug.

The arms around him clearly weren't there to cause him harm but to show affection and he almost chuckled with relief as he saw Finn's brown if somewhat glassy eyes looking down at him. He indulged himself in a briefest moment of being safely enveloped in his brother's arms before putting on a scowl and trying to shove him away.

"Lurk much?"

"Congrats, man!" the taller teen exclaimed, ignoring Kurt's resistance and lifting him off the ground. "I'm so happy for you, dude!"

"Gravity!" Kurt uttered, somewhat breathlessly. "Gravity's there for a reason! Put me down this instant, you Cheetos-scarfing Will-Ferrel-obsessed brute!"

Finn grinned at him, still not loosening his grip around the smaller teen's waist. "Didn't you sing a song about how much you liked defying gravity, though, dude?"

"As touched as I am that you remember-" the countertenor said with an eye roll and swatted him over the shoulder. "-it was meant metaphorically not _literally_, you dork."

"I didn't understand half of what you've just said, man." Finn chuckled and put him down.

"Jeez, Finn," Kurt said with a good-natured frown, stepping to a safe distance and trying to re-adjust his frock. When he was satisfied with his ministrations, he fixed his stepbrother with a stern glance. "I thought I stated clearly on several occasions there are to be no Finn Hudson Snuggle Attacks on campus or limbs will be cut off and flannel will burn."

"Um, okay," the quarterback replied warily but then his eyes lit up. "So there can be SAs off campus?" he asked hopefully, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Kurt shook his head, trying to hide the smile curving his lips upwards. "Sure," he purred, "-if you don't care about seeing your Xbox ever again," he added pleasantly and Finn swallowed. Kurt put his hands on his hips and shot him an inquisitive glance. "What, might I ask, are you doing here? Don't you have algebra now?"

"Oh! Yeah, right!" Finn nodded vigorously. "The thing is, we had a bet with Puck who would get excused first and I totally won cuz I faked a cramp and like, fell to the floor just as Mrs. Martinez asked for my homework. that was a close call and I think I bruised my knee," he said, rubbing the said knee, "-but I got a pass to the nurse's office and that's when I saw you and Burt in the corridor."

Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose. "There are so many things wrong with this story that I don't even know where to start." He sighed. "And it's _so_ encouraging to know how much you're taking advantage of your schooling."

"Totally, man." Finn grinned. "Mrs. Martinez is quite easy to take advantage of, though," he admitted, Kurt's sarcasm flying over his head. "Anyways, when I saw you two, I was worried something was wrong so I followed you here and then I heard you and I didn't want to barge in on, uh, your family moment. So I just stayed here."

Kurt's eyes softened as he looked at him. "Finn Hudson, how many times do I have to tell you these 'moments' are yours just as much? You're a part of the family and I want to share them with you, too, dumb brother of mine."

"You…do?" Finn asked sheepishly.

The smaller teen shook his head and handed him the NYADA letter. Finn took it with care as if it were made of glass and pretended to read as scattered thoughts whirled around in his head. He already knew what the letter said and it was terrific news but he found there were other feelings than elation gnawing at him from the inside.

Sure, it was a dream come true and Finn was ecstatic for Kurt but in that moment it hit him with full force that the other boy was leaving and what that meant. Kurt would no longer be there, bright blue-green eyes meeting his on a bleary gray morning, nagging him about his dress sense and his hair but handing him a fresh cup of coffee and a plateful of bacon and patting him on the head. He would no longer have the comfort of a reassuring hug and a sympathetic ear at the other end of the hallway. Looking into Kurt's beaming face, he quashed all these thoughts and willed the little pinpricks of doubt and apprehension in his stomach away. This was Kurt's moment and he was going to be nothing but happy and supportive, no matter what it meant for the two of them.

"That is so cool, man!" he exclaimed, plastering a smile to his face.

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Cool? There has got to be some other word in the English language you can use, Finnegan."

The taller teen thought for a moment and then a slow grin spread across his face. "Awesome?"

Kurt shook his head, snatching the letter from him. "Try not to fake cramps in your English class and maybe you'll be able to come up with something more creative next time."

"How about…unstoppable?"

Kurt blinked.

Finn pushed his hands into his pockets. "What Burt said…dude, he's not the only one proud of you," he said slowly, carefully choosing his words. "I am, too. I- I'm _so_ proud you're my bro," he continued softly. "You never backed down and never let all the haters get to you and today you won. You showed your real worth, Kurt," he said vehemently. "I mean, this is a knock-out. A touch-down. A home run. It's like you gave all the haters a roundabout kick in the nuts, man," he added with a lopsided grin and Kurt chuckled tearily.

"Now that _is_ a pleasant image," he said after a while, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I just wish I were half as tough and brave as you," Finn said haltingly, his eyes dropping down.

Kurt put a hand on his shoulder, affection for the taller teen swelling in his chest. "I wish I could make you see that you already are," he assured him softly.

"Nah, I'm not," the taller teen objected with a shake of his head. "But thanks, man, you're the best. I'm sorry for going all emo on you out of nowhere like that. This shouldn't be about me. It's your moment, man, enjoy it."

Kurt crossed his arms. "Well, I can't really enjoy it if I know you're somewhere out there sulking."

"I don't sulk, I get angsty and sensitive."

"Finn, I hate to break it to you but you're about as sensitive as an elephant's foot."

"I'm plenty sensitive! I…have feelings and- and stuff!" the taller teen protested and narrowed his eyes at Kurt. "Dude, if you hadn't just gotten that acceptance letter, I would _so_ push you into the piano and lock you up for Brad to find tomorrow."

"Color me terrified," Kurt teased but then continued in a different vein, "I know you see and feel way more than you let on, Finn, and this week you've been quite incredible."

"You've made it easy for me, man."

"No, I didn't," Kurt objected with a small smile. "But now enough with the cheese-fest before you inflict any lasting damage on my psyche."

"Dude, the only thing I got out of that was cheese-fest," Finn replied, quirking an eyebrow. "And it's making me hungry."

"Finn, _everything_ makes you hungry."

The taller boy grinned. "Rachel says the same thing."

Kurt's head snapped up. "Rachel! Oh my Gaga, Rachel!" he exclaimed and grabbed Finn by the forearm, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "I have to tell her! Do you know where's her next class?"

Finn blinked, surprised by the sudden turn-around. "She has a free period now," he said slowly. "She should be at her locker but-"

"Thanks!" Kurt exclaimed and sped off, the tails of his frock flying after him.

Allowing himself to drop the act, Finn looked after him, his heart feeling both incredibly heavy and light at the same time.

**XxXxXxX**

"Blaine looks really cool with the eye patch," Finn observed staring into the ceiling while lounging lazily on Kurt's bed some time after they had returned from the Andersons. "He's like a Bond villain or something. He just needs a white fluffy cat and one of those closed neck jackets."

Curled up in his armchair, Kurt snorted from over his history book. "Please don't tell him that."

"Why not?"

"He might actually like the idea," the smaller teen replied, his lips twitching with amusement. He returned to his homework. "Bond villain," he muttered under his breath with a shake of his head. "The paths your mind wanders, Finn."

"Whatever. You totally laughed, dude."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be doing your algebra homework?"

"Why?" Finn whined.

The countertenor sighed. "I could tell you that it will enhance your analytical skills and improve your logical thinking but somehow I doubt that would work," he said wryly. "So I'm just gonna say this – so that you won't have to fake a cramp this time."

"You have a point," the taller teen agreed grudgingly. His knee was still hurting from the last time. "Mom," he added teasingly and rolled back onto his stomach just as a pillow hit him in the face.

"Hey!" he said reproachfully. "That's not fair!"

Kurt shrugged. "No one said anything about fair. My room, my rules. Deal with it or you're out."

He heard Finn mumble something about 'mean sassy know-it-alls' but he went down to his homework and Kurt smiled to himself before doing the same.

Not fifteen minutes passed when he looked up to see his stepbrother fidgeting again.

"For God's sake, Finn, I swear there are gnats with longer attention span!"

The quarterback groaned. "But there's like, this thing I can't stop thinking about and I can't focus," he said. "Can I ask you something? I mean, it's probably gonna sound stupid and maybe weird and stuff-"

"Oh, totally unlike you, then," Kurt replied sarcastically.

"Dude, I'm serious. It's not like I'm planning on this being awkward but…yeah, it will probably be anyway."

The countertenor arched an eyebrow. "You plan out your awkward moments?'

"A guy's gotta have a hobby," Finn replied with a bright smile.

Kurt's lips quirked upwards. "All right, let's hear it, then."

The taller teen raked a hand through his unruly hair before finally blurting out, "I know with our history and stuff…but dude, you're the only I can ask that will give me an honest answer to this."

"Finn, the suspense is killing me."

"So, um, d'you, like, think I'm attractive?"

Kurt's eyebrows threatened to mesh with his hairline as he regarded his stepbrother carefully. "In…what sense?" he asked warily.

"You know…being a woman?"

The other boy blinked. "Do I think you're an attractive woman?"

"No. I'm not the woman, you're the woman!"

"_I'm_ the woman?"

"Dude, you know what I mean!"

"Seldom if ever," Kurt replied and put his history book down. "Where is this coming from, Finn?"

"You know what, never mind," Finn backtracked. "It's nothing."

"Finn, you just asked me if you're _attractive_," the smaller teen enunciated. "It's not nothing." He sighed. "Did Rachel tell you something?"

Finn's head snapped up. "No. Did she tell _you _something?"

"Finn, if this is about your nipples again-"

"You and Rachel talk about my nipples?" the taller teen exclaimed mortified.

Kurt gave him a steady gaze. "We don't. That's my point. But _you _do. Actually, it's whining rather than talking but-"

Finn huffed. "It's all Santana's fault."

"Poor baby," Kurt clucked with a wicked grin.

The taller teen sighed. "It's just that...me and Rach, we've never been closer but I feel there's like, something holding her back and I don't know what that is," he explained slowly, choosing his words carefully so as not to reveal more than necessary. He was so not ready to tell anyone about the proposal yet. "So I was thinking I could do something for her to somehow, you know, sway her in the right direction."

Kurt frowned, sensing there was some hidden deeper meaning in between Finn's lines but unable to put a finger on it.

"So, any advice, bro?"

The countertenor regarded him for a while, finally deciding to let it go for the time being. "You could always use your biggest weapon," he suggested.

"Not a gun, right?"

Kurt chuckled, remembering their sophomore year. "No. I mean what I meant the first time. Your voice."

"Yeah, cuz that turned out so well last time."

"This time it's _MJ week_, Finn," Kurt emphasized. "And you can do no wrong with MJ," he added, reaching for his iPod. "I have the perfect song for you. Ever heard of _I Just Can't Stop Loving You_?"

"Not really."

"Well, I can assure you Rachel has. She may say she doesn't get MJ but she definitely knows this one."

"Um, okay," Finn nodded slowly just as Kurt's phone came to life with a text. The smaller teen quickly reached for it and Finn watched him scan the screen avidly.

"Yes!" he exclaimed and looked up at Finn. "Santana got Sebastian to confess to doctoring that slushie. On tape."

"Dude, that's so dope! No we can go all Erin Brokovich on his ass!"

Kurt gave him a surprised look.

"What, I watch movies other than action films."

"And it has nothing to do with the fact that Julia Roberts wears really short skirts and low necks in it, doesn't it?"

"Does she?" Finn replied playfully and Kurt snorted. The taller teen indicated his phone. "So, um, what are we gonna do about Sebastian?"

Kurt rubbed his chin in thought. "First thing tomorrow, we book the auditorium-"

"-so that we can break the asshat's face in the limelight?"

Kurt smiled. "So to say. We still have 'Black or White' to do. I think we should combine the two and invite the Warblers for a little show choir powwow. Then we let the Chipmunk know we have the dirt on him…and give him back the tape."

"Give it _back_?" Finn echoed. "Dude, have you hit your head or something?"

Kurt stared him down. "No. I'm choosing to be the better person in the hope that he gets the message."

"And if he doesn't?" Finn asked hopefully.

"Then I'll prepare the rock salt myself," Kurt replied. "And you have my full permission to go Hulk on him."

the other teen smiled viciously. "I so hope he doesn't get the message."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him and Finn was sure he was in for a rebuke but his stepbrother surprised him once again.

"So do I."

* * *

And you've reached the end:) It would mean a lot to me to know what you think, so drop a line, guys! Reviews make smiles;)

Until next time!


	59. 3x12: Pudding It on the Line

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Still nothing. Not for a lack of trying, though.

**A/N: **First of all, sorry for the delay in posting but ff net was down again and wouldn't let me log in:/

**A/N2: **'Spanish Teacher'. Well, those of you who know me probably realize I squeed through half of the episode;)

Crushing Kurt, Diva Kurt, Counselor Kurt...we got some AWESOME Kurt moments, reminiscent of the first season AND the show remembered that Kurt and Finn are brothers! Finally! I feel like I've been waiting for that scene since 'Furt'!

Apart from the spectacular Furt, I pretty much enjoyed the whole of the episode:) There were quite a few fun moments. I say this as someone who usually zones out whenever Will is on the screen, though, so whatever he did just went right past me as I just admired Ricky Martin, who is unfairly hot. ;)

**A/N3: **Taking into account the awesomeness of the Furt included, the bar for this chapter has been set really high and while thre's no way I can top Ian Brennan himself, it didn't stop me from trying and I truly hope this will live up to your expectations and you'll enjoy this!

_I wanted to dedicate this chapter to two exceptional girls, who have both brought me a lot of smiles and laughs in the last couple of days:_

_to __**paddyoffurniture**__ for her perseverance and awesome reviews, and _

_to __**ChuckNorrisLeftFist**__ who made a silly conversation into one of the funniest Kinn fics I've ever read (it's called 'Secret Agent Man Finn' and if you're up for some laughs, you should definitely go read it)._

* * *

**Pudding It on the Line**

"Kurt? Uh, hey," Finn greeted Kurt with a puzzled expression, peeking his head from over the sofa, where he was sprawled like a huge sloth or a Great Dane or something equally big and…lumbering. "Um, weren't you supposed to be at a sleepover at Rachel's?"

"I was," the smaller teen replied curtly.

"But it's eight," Finn said and Kurt could practically see the wheels in his head churning. "Isn't the point of a sleep-over to _sleep over_ at somebody else's?"

The countertenor shot him a sidelong glance. "Your grasp of the obvious is astonishing as always," he replied snidely, not being able to hold back his irritation with his stepbrother.

Finn sat up with a frown. "So…you don't sleep over at a sleep-over?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, shucking off his coat. "Finn, have you never had a sleepover?"

"Not with girls I didn't," the taller teen replied ruefully. "Not for a lack of trying, though."

"Finn, if I roll my eyes more, I fear they're going to fall out of their sockets."

"That would be kinda cool," Finn said, a grin spreading over his lips. "In a totally uncool way," he added hastily under Kurt's glare. He dropped his gaze. "So, uh, why are you here? Cuz I kinda thought with the parents away, I would have the house for myself…"

The smaller boy narrowed his eyes at him. "I think I need to take a moment to swoon at all the brotherly love that has been gushed on me," he said snidely.

"Dude, I'm serious," Finn insisted. "Did something happen? Did you have, like, an argument or something?"

"Nothing happened," Kurt replied curtly and bit his lip.

He was almost bursting at the seams, vacillating between going straight for Finn's jugular and giving him a chance to come clean and explain himself so he decided to give himself a while to cool off and turned his back on the other teen.

He was still shocked by Rachel's news and the sheer insanity of Finn's proposal made his head spin but the most of all, he was disappointed and more than a little hurt that his stepbrother didn't trust him enough to share the news with him or ask him for advice. Then again, Finn probably knew all too well what Kurt's advice would have been but still…

"Dude?" Finn's voice cut through his voice and he realized the taller teen was talking to him. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

That did it for Kurt. Finn had proven time and again he genuinely cared for him and he decided he owed his stepbrother at least a chance to come clean before he called him out on anything.

"Everything's fine." He heaved a sigh and dropped onto the sofa.

"Ouch!" Finn protested, curling his legs to his chest. "Dude, I'm sitting here!"

The countertenor raised an eyebrow at him. "This is a three-person sofa, Finn."

"No normal three persons could fit into it!"

"Well, that definition automatically excludes you."

"That's what I'm saying!" Finn replied and Kurt tried hard not to smirk as sarcasm flew over his stepbrother's head once again. "You mean, like three-hobbit sofa, maybe!"

"Me and Blaine fit onto it just fine," Kurt replied, crossing his arms.

Finn chuckled. "Yeah, that's because one of you is _on top_ of the other," he shot back.

Kurt kicked himself inwardly because he had walked straight into this one. He aimed a withering glance at Finn but he knew his fine complexion had betrayed him yet again and he felt his face grow an interesting shade of red up to the very tips of his ears.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he said with a sniff and stuck his chin out. "We were…rehearsing."

"For what? Skinemax?" the taller teen asked with a smirk and Kurt started to wonder if one could actually die of mortification. "Dude, I know what I saw. You, like, scarred me for life."

"I would say sorry but I'm really not," Kurt replied, surprising himself by how cool he sounded. "Not after how many times my poor retinas were exposed to the jarring sight of you and Rachel in equally…compromising situations."

"I apologized for that!" Finn protested. "And we never go beyond making out! You two-"

Kurt held up his hand. "One more word and I swear I'm going to break a leg off the nearest chair and beat you on the head with it."

Finn opened his mouth but closed it as quickly, giving him a pout. Kurt continued to glare daggers at him. The taller teen swallowed.

"Um, the silent intimidation act is totally working, dude," he uttered after a while.

"Are you going to drop it?"

"Yeah, totally."

Kurt nodded, crossing his hands as he regarded him thoughtfully. His anger at the other teen hadn't diminished at all. If anything, it had grown. Their banter felt so painfully familiar and good that it made him clench his teeth. How could Finn act so natural and _brotherly_ and still keep such a big thing from him? A new flare of anger licked through his veins.

Finn didn't seem to take up on any of it as he seated himself more comfortably and threw an arm over Kurt's shoulders, effectively bringing him closer despite the other teen's resistance.

"No need to get worked up about it, dude," he assured him. "Your secret's safe with me. You can trust me."

Kurt shot him a sharp glance. "You are such a hypocrite!"

"Um, thanks," Finn replied and grinned at him.

The countertenor raised an eyebrow at him. "You have no idea what a hypocrite is, do you?"

"No."

"So what was the grinning about?"

"I, uh, didn't want to hurt your feelings, man," Finn replied with disarming honesty. "So, what's a hermaphrodite?"

Despite his current mood, it was really hard not to chuckle. Kurt had to think of the founder of Crocs and polka dots with stripes to properly stare the other boy down. "A _hypocrite _is a person who professes certain ideals but fails to live up to them," he explained pointedly.

"Oh, okay," Finn said, slowly nodding. Then he looked at Kurt with a frown. "And a hermaphrodite is-?"

The smaller teen rolled his eyes. "Can we leave that and go back to the sane part of the conversation?"

"If we have to," Finn said somewhat despondently. "So, we have a deal. You don't tell the parents about me and Rach and I'm silent as the grave about you and Blaine."

Kurt's lips drew into a thin line. "I'm to trust you?"

"Yeah, that's the idea."

"Like you trust me? Not?"

Finn knit his eyebrows together, unease flickering inside his stomach. "Dude…of course I trust you! You're my bro."

The countertenor scoffed. "Are you sure about that?" he asked in clipped syllables.

"Um, yeah. Pretty sure."

"Is that so?" Kurt crossed his hands. "Isn't there something you want to talk about, then, since we're being so brotherly and trusting?" he asked angrily.

The taller boy dropped his eyes and scratched the back of his neck. "Actually, yes. Now that you mention it…there is this one thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Kurt's eyes widened. Surely, this couldn't be this easy. He felt a rush of warmth looking into his brother's sincere warm eyes. Maybe he wouldn't have to tear his head off after all. "I'm listening," he said softly. "You know you can tell me anything, Finn."

"Yeah, I know," Finn said. "So, you should have been the first person I spoke about this…I dunno why I didn't. Probably I was afraid you were gonna laugh at me or dismiss me or something."

"Finn, I would never laugh at you!" Kurt assured him vehemently. "This is a serious life decision!"

The taller boy looked at him quizzically. "I…guess it is."

"You _guess_?" Kurt echoed incredulously. "I can't believe you're being so flippant about this!"

"I'm not flipping! You're flipping, dude! I know regionals are important but sheesh, it's just an idea! I didn't think you'd take it this way!"

"R- regionals?" Kurt repeated dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Rob Zombie for our set list," Finn said, a frown building on his face. "What are _you _talking about?"

Kurt shook his head, feeling the bitter taste of disappointment in his mouth. "You know what? Never mind," he said, desperately trying to keep his tone neutral even as his heart slowed to a painful beat.

Finn blinked, more confused than when Kurt had tried to explain to him the difference between celery and parsley. "Dude, did I say something wrong? You hate Rob Zombie or something?"

Kurt stood up. His eyes were shimmering but he didn't cry. "Really, Finn?" he scoffed angrily, not able to keep his deadpan expression in place any longer. "You're hopeless," he spat and walked away, leaving Finn looking after him more confused than ever.

**XxXxXxX**

Two days later, Finn found himself looking after Kurt again with his mind spinning. Again.

Suddenly the air at the gym became stifled (well, more stifled than usual) and he felt he couldn't breathe. Kurt's weird behavior earlier suddenly became clear and he understood how much he'd hurt and disappointed the other teen. And yet here Kurt was, standing at his side and going out of his way to try and inject him with a powerful shot of some so badly needed self-esteem.

He marveled at how Kurt knew exactly how to coax him out of his defensive shell and say just the right things to motivate him and make him actually think. Maybe he did have something to bring to the table after all? He still took Kurt's words with a generous amount of salt and he was definitely _not_ a star like his stepbrother or girlfriend but there was no denying Kurt had planted a seed in his head that maybe if he actually believed in himself he _could_ do something productive and gainful in NYC.

And maybe…just maybe he wasn't such a dead weight after all?

What if he _were_ NY good? Or LA good?

What if it was his job and destiny and stuff to entertain people?

He found he pretty much liked the idea. And not just because he was mindlessly tagging along behind Rachel and Kurt and feeding off of their dreams because he didn't have his own. Not anymore. This could be _his_ own dream too and he realized it could really make him happy.

Kurt told him he was very talented. He wasn't so sure about that but what he just realized was that maybe he was talented _enough_.

Woah.

He blinked a couple of times as all the thoughts he hadn't really allowed himself to think before flooded his brain. He looked at the place Kurt had stood but a couple of minutes ago, realizing two things and smiling at himself because if Kurt heard any of them, he would roll his eyes at the sappiness of it.

First, he _was_ his own person. He didn't have to resign himself to being a Lima Loser, a fate he realized he had subconsciously already condemned himself to. He had given up on his life before it actually began. He might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but he did have some things going for him. Once again, Kurt had given him a lesson on being a man.

Second, and even more sappily, he really, honestly loved Kurt. It was a different kind of love than his feelings for Rachel but it was equally strong. He loved him in the only way someone can love another person to the extent of laying down their life willingly for that person and smiling at that person's jokes and telling them they had food in their teeth – taking the ugly with the lovely and the bitchy with the sweet and liking that person all the same, no matter how many jabs and words you didn't understand they threw at you.

Kurt would be so proud of him, figuring stuff out on his own like that.

He grinned to himself and threw a fist in the air, almost knocking off a lamp, which earned him a couple of bewildered glances from his teammates. He didn't really care.

He grabbed his college brochures and sped off to the showers like his pants were on fire.

**XxXxXxX**

Kurt ran a hand through his hair, rather uncharacteristically not caring that it got mussed in the process. The school was done for the day and he was in his car parked at his house. The only people there were going to see him were his parents and Finn and it wasn't like any of them didn't already know how fabulous he was.

He sighed. He needed to do something with his hands to calm himself down before going inside because knowing his luck, he was going to bump straight into Finn the moment he crossed the door. And he really didn't know where they stood or how he felt about his brother right now. For their earlier talk, they still weren't okay. While Kurt could and would always get over his personal disappointment because this was so much bigger than his feelings – it was _Finn's life_ after all – that didn't mean he had to be all smiley and happy go-lucky around him. He loved his brother and he was pretty sure he would give his life for him if it came to that but he was starting to doubt if the other boy felt the same way. And it hurt more than he thought it could.

Another thing causing him unease was the realization of just how resigned and acquiescent Finn had grown to be under Kurt's very nose. He couldn't allow and refused to watch him tumble further down that destructive path. For no matter how disappointed and hurt he was, nothing would ever change the way he felt for his brother or how much he cared about him. Just like he couldn't do anything about his unconditional love for Blaine even if he tried, there was nothing he could do about his feelings for Finn, either. They were as unchanging as the sea. He cringed inwardly.

Finn would be so proud of him, getting all sappy and sentimental.

Sighing, he got out of the Navigator and walked up the path to the house. Sure enough, as soon as he opened the door, Finn was there looking at him expectantly.

"Great! You're back!" he greeted him.

"Yes, I am," Kurt replied warily. "I'm back from school just like every day and you're acting weird. Just like every day."

He slowly put his messenger bag away and took the other teen in. Finn was wearing his 'Kiss the Cook' apron and unless he was into some really kinky stuff with Rachel in the kitchen, there was only one explanation. Shoving his first thought into the deepest recesses of his brain, he decided to go with the second. Far less scarring.

"McQueen help you if you've been trying to cook again," he said, hands on his hips. "Because if you have, I swear I'm going to skin you alive and make you into pantyhose-"

"I made pudding!" the taller boy cut him off, puffing his chest out.

Kurt stopped with his one hand still in his coat. "Please tell me this is some jock lingo for pushups or something."

Finn crossed his hands. "I so resent your tone, dude. I can cook."

"How many times do we have to get over this?" the countertenor asked, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "I believe we've already established there are microorganisms at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean that can cook better than you."

"Now you're just being mean."

"No, I'm being honest." Kurt fixed him with a steady gaze. "There's a reason I have the Fire Department on speed dial, Finn."

"I've gotten, like, way better!"

"Well, you haven't burned the house down yet or poisoned anyone so I guess you have," the smaller teen admitted grudgingly.

"Ha! See!"

"Don't you 'ha!' me, Finn Hudson," the smaller teen put him down and bent to remove his shoes. "Now go to the kitchen and throw away all you've attempted to cook before it eats away a hole in the table top."

"Don't you even wanna see it?" Finn gave him the puppy-dog eye. "It's an 'I'm sorry' pudding! And it took me three hours to make!"

Despite himself, Kurt felt his lips twitch into a smile. "I don't doubt that," he replied and put his shoes away neatly. As soon as he straightened up, Finn grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him into the kitchen.

"I won't force you to eat it but you have to at least look."

And look Kurt did. For a long, _long_ while.

"Finn," he finally uttered, staring in disbelief at the monstrosity sporting an awkwardly scribbled pink 'Sorry' on top. "This…pudding is blue."

The quarterback nodded vigorously, "Yeah."

"_Why_ is it blue?"

"Cuz that's the color of your eyes when you smile and are happy and stuff," Finn replied quickly, giving him that melting lop-sided smile of his.

The smaller teen felt a rush of warmth for him but he stamped it down and rubbed his forehead. "What did you put in it? Toilet detergent?"

"Uh, no. It did cross my mind but then I found some of your make-up stuff in the bathroom."

"So basically, you're trying to apologize to me by poisoning me with my own make-up products," Kurt said slowly, trying not to smile. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say how very Machiavellian of you."

"Um, thanks?" Finn replied hesitantly. "I just wanted to do something special for you to show you I'm not such a hermaphrodite and hopeless jerk as you think."

Kurt almost choked. "That's…that's good to know." Then his eyes softened. "I'm really touched, sweetie, but the next time you feel the urge to do something really special in the kitchen? Please stamp it down."

"Okay," Finn said despondently and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Kurt smiled at him and nudged him softly in the side. He simply couldn't stay angry at Finn for long. "How about we do something edible and not-blue? I'm giving you a lot of credit here but you can hand me the ingredients."

Some time later they were seated over pancakes and Finn chanced a tentative glance at his brother.

"I still owe you an apology, Kurt."

"Do you?" the smaller teen asked softly, folding his hands in his lap.

"I mean, the pudding landed in the trash so it doesn't really count," Finn explained. "Dude, I know I'm not the most observant and sensitive guy out there but I know it hurt you that I kept the proposal away from you. We're brothers, man, and it wasn't cool but the thing is, I'm a coward," he said slowly.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Finn-"

The taller teen held up a hand. "No, dude. I told you I got to the point where I have to look the facts in the eye. And the fact is I'm a coward and an idiot. I always choose the easy way out and let others do the heavy lifting for me. I mean, I'm so insecure about myself that it almost led me to give up on my own life," he said, clenching his teeth. He met Kurt's gaze. "Not anymore. You made me realize I can't be scared all the time because then I'll never know who I am and I'll never figure out a way to be happy. So I'm gonna put it all on the line and apply to the NY colleges you showed me."

"That's- wonderful, Finn. I'm so happy for you," he said with a smile. "At least now I won't have to forge your signature and write your essays for you," he added.

"You can still do that. I have no objections," Finn replied with a lopsided smile. Then he sobered and pushed a hand through his hair. "I don't know what I did to ever deserve you, man…but I know I'm incredibly lucky. And I'm gonna hold on to you as long as I can. Which basically means you'll have a big, clumsy dude shadowing you for the rest of your life."

Kurt chuckled lightly. "You know, I'm strangely unbothered by that."

"And for what it's worth, you're the first one I'm telling this to."

"I…appreciate that, Finn."

"You should have been the first one to know about the proposal. Apart from Rach, of course," he said, fiddling nervously with his thumbs, "-but then I thought of you and Burt…I mean, you have this incredible relationship and I couldn't stand it if I were responsible for spoiling it," he spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. Kurt regarded him with an unreadable expression. "I didn't want to put you in that position where you'd have to lie to your dad because of me. I…I guess I didn't want to put a hedge between you two."

"First, I think you mean a _wedge_," Kurt said firmly, but the twitch of his lips gave him away and Finn knew he was fighting a smile, "-and second, you know I'd have kept your secret, even from my dad. A father-son bond is sacred to me but then again, so is sibling solidarity, Finn. You taught me that."

The taller teen smiled at him. "I know," he said with a very faint and unmirthful smile. "Did I tell you I was an idiot?"

Kurt smiled at him softly. "You are not an idiot, Finn. You are a sweet, well-intentioned person. And the fact that you thought of me and my dad before yourself? That more than seals it," he said decidedly even as Finn gave him a disbelieving glance. "I was angry with you and I still think this engagement is insane but," he hedged, "-then I realized that not telling me was one of the bravest and most selfless things you did, Finn. You were struggling with this tough decision all by yourself because you didn't want to burden me."

"I burden you all the time as it is, man."

"Finn, it's not a burden for me to be there for you."

The taller teen smiled at him. "You know you're like, the most important guy in my life, right?"

Kurt rolled his eyes affectionately. "My sap needle is swinging into the red now. You have got to cut on the cheese, Captain Cornball."

"Hey, that sounds kinda cool."

"What do I have to do to offend your cheesiness?"

Finn gave him a knowing smile. "I don't think you really want to."

Kurt opened and closed his mouth. "I'm that obvious, aren't I?"

"Nah, I just know you pretty well, dude."

"I don't know if I should more terrified or touched."

"Probably both," Finn replied with a shrug. "So, um, we're cool, right? Just another one of those 'the quarrel of brothers is the renewal of brothership' things?"

"Where did you hear that?"

The taller teen huffed. "I'm capable of independent thinking, you know."

Kurt shot him a sidelong look.

Finn groaned. "Oprah," he admitted.

The countertenor blinked. "Since when do you watch Oprah?"

"Uh, I really don't. But I kinda came home early today and I turned the TV on." He shuddered. "I thought primetime TV was bad but daytime sucks so much more. Just a bunch of women sitting around, talking about menopause and things they don't eat anymore and stuff."

"You did record that, right?"

Finn rolled his eyes. "You are so weird, dude," he said. "And you still didn't answer me. Do I have to make another pudding or are we okay?"

"God, please no!" Kurt exclaimed with horror.

"So…that's a yes?"

The smaller teen smiled. "Is Chanel fabulous?"

"I dunno. Is he?"

"It's a _she_," Kurt corrected him with mortification. "And yes. If she were alive she would rule the world. Seriously, how can you live under one roof with me for over a year and not know these things?"

Finn's shoulders collapsed a little with relief even as he shot back, "I've developed a pretty good defense mechanism."

"You're impossible."

"I thought I'm a unique star," Finn said, his lips spreading into a playful grin.

Kurt rolled his eyes affectionately. "I knew I would regret saying that." He sighed. "Now you're going to rub it in my face till the end of the semester, aren't you?"

Finn's grin widened. "Nah, don't be silly, dude," he objected. "I'm gonna rub it in your face till the end of _your life_."

The countertenor shook his head. "That's what I get for being a good brother."

"No, _this_ is what you get for being a good brother," the taller teen countered and grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug.

"I think I'd prefer to be kissed by that furry thing from Star Wars," Kurt replied snidely but put his arms around the other boy nonetheless.

Finn grinned. "That can be arranged."

* * *

That's it, guys:) Coming next, Valentines! I'm really counting on some Hummel-Hudson-Berry family fun!

Reviews to a fic are like Bert to Ernie, laces to a shoe, dip to nachos... so if you're wondering whether to review, please do;)

Till next time!


	60. 3x13: Bump in the Road

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill;)

**A/N: **Sorry I didn't get to reply to all your wonderful reviews for the last chapter but I had a really crazy week:/ Know they really mean A LOT to me and I'm crazy lucky to have you as my readers, guys!

**A/N2: **'Heart'. Well, Glee sure fired on all cylinders this week…funny, sweet, political, good music, diverse focus – I loved it!

Kurt once again proved he is just about the smartest, sweetest and most mature character on the show (plus Chris Colfer delivered wonderfully as he always does) – the way he so gently let Karofsky down despite all their history and his evident discomfort with the idea of Dave's crush…

Then, trouble in Finnchel paradise…I admit a part of me wanted Kurt there for the Hudmel-Berry dinner but knowing that the parents are working together on a reverse psychology scheme, it makes sense that unsupportive Kurt wouldn't be there. Btw, the DADS! While I'm definitely not going to go into the teen lovemaking idiocy (I mean, seriously, no sane parent would go along with this in a million years, and especially not Burt Hummel!), I have to admit the Dads were awesome...I've decided that the foundations of my home will also be Honesty, Integrity and Dance;)

Oh, one last thing before I'll let you read – anybody else die laughing at Puck's face smeared with chocolate?

And now I hope you'll enjoy the new chapter 60 (!).

* * *

**Bump in the Road**

Re-adjusting his messenger bag, Kurt climbed the stairs to his room. His mood couldn't be more sour and he hoped he wouldn't meet anyone, read a certain lanky incredibly annoying stepbrother, on his way to his room. For their sake.

He knew it was selfish but he couldn't quash the feeling of disappointment that had lodged itself in his stomach at the beginning of the week. Just when he had the opportunity to fully enjoy the festival of love for the first time in his life, his boyfriend was bedridden and on strong meds that made him half-responsive at the best of times. His luck.

He loved the cards, they were incredibly romantic but as much as he loved Blaine, he was everything but and something about the whole matter just didn't add up- no. He quashed these thoughts and scolded himself inwardly for even allowing himself to doubt his boyfriend. He might have accidentally mentioned how he would love to get something romantic and special for Valentines about a zillion times and as clueless as Blaine could be in this respect, even he had to take the hint. Seriously, how insane was it to think it could be anyone but him?

As if that wasn't enough, Kurt had to literally stop himself from strangling Finn whenever he saw him this week. He knew he couldn't just stand by and watch his brother and best friend throw away their lives but he felt helpless. The Parent Trap he had set backfired. Twice. Both his parents and the Berries seemed to embrace the idea and it made Kurt want to scream with frustration.

He sighed. Looking on the bright side, at least Sugar had saved the Glee Club from a week of humiliation by serenading and him from a possible suspension because if someone threw a shoe at him this time, Kurt would not only throw it back but show them what real, fine Italian footwear tasted like.

Deep in his head, he didn't notice the object flying towards him until it had hit him in the face. Aghast, he pulled it off and stared at an exceptionally ugly flannel shirt. He looked around and realized there were already several of those lying around in the corridor and just as he was about to drop the one he was holding another one flew in his direction. This time he dodged it and stepped into Finn's room with a frown.

"Please tell me you're throwing ugly second-rate clothing around because you want to burn it," he said snidely. "Or is it time for the yearly Red Cross donation? These will certainly make Henry the Homeless Dumpster Diver happy," he added, pointing at an especially baggy pair of jeans lying at his feet.

"Red Cross?" Finn repeated emerging from his wardrobe. "Dude, these are my favorite jeans!"

Kurt gave the pants a disdainful look and moved them out of his way with the tip of his shoe. "_These_ are a crime against the laws of nature and McQueen. And they're torn. On both knees."

"I know. I took a tumble last week in them but I can't bring myself to throw them away." Finn said with his eyes downcast. "I've had them for two years now!"

"Oh, it shows, believe me," the countertenor observed and put his hands on his hips, giving him a questioning look. "You still haven't told me what exactly you're doing, apart from severely jarring my fashion sense."

"The dinner at the Berry's is in a couple of hours and I need to look, um, presentable," the taller teen said sticking his head back into the wardrobe, his voice muffled. "I'm looking for something to wear but all I seem to have are polos and flannel shirts."

"You don't say," Kurt replied dryly, crossing his hands. "Finn, get your head out of that wardrobe before some faun drags you inside and-"

"There are _fawns_ in my wardrobe?" Finn looked slightly alarmed as he pulled his head out and looked at his brother.

Kurt shook his head. "And a literary reference is something that happens to other people, isn't it?" he said and stared the other teen down. "Seriously, though. You have _me_ in the house and you didn't come for advice?"

The taller teen pushed a hand through his hair and dropped his gaze. "After- after how things went down in Glee, I didn't think you wanted to talk to me. I thought you were angry with me."

"Finn Hudson, you can be such an idiot sometimes."

Finn looked up, a small hopeful smile on his lips. "Only sometimes?"

"You're missing the point," Kurt replied, one corner of his mouth going upwards.

"So…you're not angry with me?"

"Oh, I'm very much angry with you, you doofus," the smaller teen corrected curtly. "But that doesn't mean I'll let you commit fashion suicide."

"I knew you loved me," Finn said tauntingly, eliciting a scoff from the other boy.

"If by love you mean 'holding oneself back from strangling'," he shot back snarkily and stood in front of Finn's wardrobe, moving the taller teen out of the way. "Let's see if I can find something in here that doesn't look like a seasoned potato bag."

"So no polos?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

Kurt was really good, Finn had to admit some fifteen minutes later as he looked at the outfit he had laid out for him on his bed. He had no idea he even had those in his wardrobe but the classic black slacks, simple blue shirt and a matching tie were perfect, parent-pleasing and uncomplicated.

"So. This should do it," Kurt decided with a satisfied nod. "Just don't forget to use a comb – it's that plastic thing with teeth people use to groom their hair-"

"Very funny," the taller teen said gruffly.

"Finn, you tried to make hot dogs _with Carole's curling iron_ last week so excuse me for being dubious," Kurt retorted.

"I thought it would be faster that way!"

"Never start a sentence with 'I thought'," Kurt said, fixing him with a pointed stare. "Getting back to the actual point, comb your hair _with a comb_, not a fork or your fingers, use the aftershave I gave you for Christmas, no Drakkar Noir please, and you'll be fine."

Finn looked down at his hands. "I dunno about the being fine part but when I put my foot in it and Rachel's dads chew me alive, at least I'll go down looking relatively well. Thanks, man."

The countertenor sighed. "It will be okay, Captain Melodrama. Just...mind your table manners – yes, that means no talking with food in your mouth – ask the Berries how they met, pay Rachel compliments every now and then and try not to say anything offensive." He paused, considering. "Anything too offensive," he amended.

"Okay, I'll try." Finn nodded. "And the outfit is awesome, man."

Kurt blinked. "Seriously? No whining or arguing?"

"Dude, I can't argue with you all the time!"

The smaller teen arched a disbelieving eyebrow. "Oh? Since when?"

"I count with your opinion, okay? You're a smart guy and right about most things. Unfortunately," Finn said with unease. "And honestly, it's exhausting."

Kurt fought the smile building on his lips at the last part. Then his expression hardened. "Why don't you count with my opinion about your marriage then, if I'm so right about everything?" he asked sourly.

"I said _most_ things, not everything."

"Well, I'm right about _this_ thing," Kurt replied, feeling a slight acid tone creep into his voice.

"Dude, why can't you just lay off and understand it's decided already? I'm not changing my mind so you can just…stop."

"Finn, I can't _just stop_ and agree with this!"

"Well, I'm not asking you to _agree_. I'm asking you to respect me and my choice, even if you're not on board with it."

Kurt looked away. "Well, I'm not."

Finn clenched his teeth. "How come out of all our friends you and Quinn are the only ones opposing?"

"Maybe because we're your only _sane_ friends?" the smaller teen snapped.

Finn threw his hands in the air. "Dammit, even Santana told Rachel she's on our side!" he said bitterly. "I mean, Quinn I can understand, with what she's been through, but you? I thought you were all for that 'love conquers all' and 'they lived happily ever after' stuff!"

Kurt sighed. "I am, Finn, but sometimes romance has to take a back seat to reality."

"When did you become so clinical, man?" Finn asked, a hint of reproach showing in his features.

"I think the word you were aiming for is cynical. And in case you haven't noticed, it's _me_. I'm always cynical."

"No. Not like this. Not about love," the taller teen pointed out and Kurt swallowed. "It's because it's me, isn't it? You honestly think I'm not up to it. That I'm not mature enough or emotionally ready to make adult decisions and my own choices."

"Honestly? Yes, I do think so, Finn," the countertenor said. "Can you blame me when you don't even seem to get that those _adult choices_ you're so keen on making, they're a big thing? Some are easy, some are hard but they all stay with you _forever_. It's not high school anymore."

"Well, this one was easy."

"And that's the problem," Kurt shot back. "It shouldn't be," he continued even as Finn gave him an annoyed glance. "God, Finn! Don't you see you're calling your life quits before it even began? You have so much to offer, don't go throwing that away because you're afraid! We're all afraid what the next year's going to bring us but we don't go giving up and throwing our lives away because of it!"

Finn regarded him with an unreadable expression, which was eerie because usually Kurt could read his stepbrother like an open book.

"Why do you believe in me so much, dude?" he suddenly asked, his tone tinged with reproach.

Kurt's eyes were lucid but his voice remained strong and steady as he replied, "Someone has to."

The taller teen dropped his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. "It would have been better if you didn't," he said softly.

"_Better_?" the other boy echoed incredulously. "Better for whom? Rachel?"

"No! Better for _me_!" Finn replied angrily. "You put all these big dreams and notions of grandeur in my head, you keep telling me how talented I am and I actually thought it was true!"

"It _is _true," Kurt said. "And the dreams? I didn't put them in your head, they were always there. I just made you realize that you can actually make them come true." He sighed as his brother shot him a disbelieving stare. "They don't have to be _just_ dreams, Finn," he added emphatically. "They can become reality."

"What if they can't?"

"You'll never know until you try!" the smaller boy said angrily. "Why won't you give yourself at least a chance!"

"Okay, let's say that's true. I still don't see how getting married with Rachel will hinder any of that."

Kurt's shoulders sagged. "And that's why I know you're not ready," he replied sadly.

Finn gave him a defiant look and the countertenor shook his head and went for the door. "Try not to strangle yourself with the tie," he added softly as an afterthought over his shoulder.

"Dude," Finn said after him and there was something in his tone that made Kurt freeze. "I seriously can't do this without you. I don't care what Rachel says…you have to be at the wedding. Even if you don't approve, man."

Kurt turned on his heel to look at him. "After everything I've said? After I basically ratted you out? _Why _would you want me there?"

"I know we have our differences, man, but you're my brother and…this is like, the most important day of my life and I need to have you there, having my back and looking out for me," Finn said almost pleadingly, looking like a scared ten-year-old and Kurt's heart clenched, especially in view of what he was about to say.

"Finn, I'm sorry but I don't think I can bear to idly stand by and watch you two make the biggest mistake of your life," he said, his throat tight. "And I doubt Rachel would appreciate it if I tripped the pastor...and during the 'if there is anyone here who has any reason these two should not be wed' part, I couldn't forever hold my peace, Finn. So I don't think it's a good idea."

Finn ground his teeth. "Dude, that's really how you want to be? You've been wedding-bashing me all week but I'm still here reaching out to you and you turn your back on me?" he asked. There was a trace of hurt in his voice but it was soon overrun by anger. "Weren't you the one who told me last week we're supposed to be real brothers? Well, here I am, needing my brother really bad and you're giving me the sucker punch?"

"Finn, I'm just trying to protect-"

"Dude, I don't need a protector!" the taller teen interrupted wrathfully. "I don't need a counselor or a preacher! I just need my brother, dammit! And if you can't be that person, then maybe you really shouldn't come to the wedding."

"Finn-" Kurt tried, his throat almost painfully tight by then.

"Please leave," the taller teen said in an undertone, turning his back on him.

Kurt's breathing hitched in his throat and his heart slowed to a painful beat. He opened his mouth but when he considered his stepbrother's hunched shoulders and lowered head, he thought better of it.

He turned on his heel and for once, did exactly what Finn asked.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn took in the Breadstix interior with a gulp. It looked like something big and pink had exploded in it but not before spewing off hearts in all possible shapes and sizes. Rachel loved it, of course, and he gave her the thumbs up, trying to muster up a smile. Maybe when the music actually started, he'd get into the mood…for now, he found his eyes were scanning the crowd for one person in particular as Rachel drifted towards Mercedes, Tina and the gang some tables away.

When he finally noticed Kurt, his heart sunk. His stepbrother was sitting alone with a sour, very thoughtful expression on his face. Without a moment's hesitation, because no matter how badly they had left things earlier he couldn't stand the sight of Kurt so down and on _Valentine's Day_ of all days, he pushed his way through the warming-up throng of patrons and dropped onto the sofa next to his brother.

"Hey, dude," he said with a small smile. "Um, everything all right? Cuz you look like someone ran off with your favorite Marc Jacobson sweater or something."

Kurt straightened up and shot him a sidelong look. "Marc _Jacobs_, Finn," he corrected him instinctively and looked down. "I- I didn't think you were talking to me," he added sheepishly, dropping his eyes back down.

Feigning surprise, Finn gave him a wondering gaze. "Don't you want me to?"

The countertenor's eyes shot up to meet his. "I- Of course I do, it's just-"

"Listen, dude," Finn interrupted him. "I'm hurt but I just can't stay angry with you. You totally have some evil powers of adorableness or something…and also, I do realize you're doing this cuz you think it's the best for me and Rach. So, I think I'm just gonna lose the sulking this time and rely on your soft spot for me and my boyish charm to convince you this is a good, adult choice and I'm ready for it."

Listening to his brother, Kurt couldn't help but feel like there was a huge load being lifted off his shoulders he hadn't even realized was there.

"My, aren't you full of yourself this evening," he observed lightly with a half-smile.

Finn shrugged. "It's your fault, dude, telling me how great and talented I am all the time."

The smaller teen gave him one of those rare smiles where all of his face lit up and the whole room seemed to light up with it. "I'm beginning to think I've been underestimating you, Mr. Hudson."

"Yeah, man." Finn smiled. "I see things and can figure stuff out on my own and I'm so not as random as you- Oooh! More candy from your secret admirer!" he exclaimed brightly. "So, where is Blaine?" he asked, looking around in search of the black-haired boy. "Did you two have your reunion?"

"Blaine, quite obviously, isn't here," Kurt said curtly, his smile gone and his lips forming a grim line instead.

"So that's why the long face."

The countertenor sighed. "I wish it was just that."

"Now you're just doing that enig- egin-…that mysterious thing where I have to guess what you're thinking by embarrassing myself or goofing around. D'you know how exhausting that is, man?"

Kurt sighed. "It's nothing," he said, fighting the beginnings of a smile on his face. How was it that Finn could coax a smile out of him even in his darkest of moods?

"But-"

"I'd really rather _not_ talk about it," he enunciated, his face still looking like he'd just downed a particularly big glass of lemon juice.

Finn nodded and decided to take the hint. Kurt was clearly working something over in his mind and he knew better than to interfere. Not really wanting to leave his stepbrother alone either, though, he just looked around the place, which was beginning to fill up quickly. The band was starting to set up and Sugar had moved closer to the stage, looking like a smaller, pink version of Big Bird from Sesame Street. Rachel was chatting away with the girls so he still had some time before she realized he wasn't there. A sharp sound brought his attention back to the table. He stared at Kurt, who had absently snapped a breadstick in two and was mutilating it in his hands, crumbs falling from his fingers onto the table.

Finn put a hand over his to stop him and shot him a quizzical look.

"Dude, what are you doing?"

Kurt seemed to snap out of it but he still had a tinge of worry and disappointment in his eyes.

"Thinking," he replied curtly, his gaze scanning the crowd.

Finn plucked the breadstick out of his hands and handed him a chocolate from the box instead. The countertenor absently bit into it, still looking distracted.

"Where _is _Blaine?" he asked with frustration after a while. "I really thought it would be him and now I just…" he trailed off, noticing that for some reason he had a half-eaten chocolate in his hand. He looked at Finn, who was looking at him with concern and sighed. He decided to push everything that had happened aside and give himself time. He only had to make it till Blaine got there. Everything would be fine then.

"Dude? You're zoning out again and I'm not giving you any more innocent breadsticks to waste," Finn said.

"Sorry," Kurt said quickly and focused back on him with renewed interest. "Not that I'm not glad but what are you even doing here? Something happened at the Hummel-Hudson-Berry V-Day extravaganza?"

"Wow, that's a mouthful," Finn marveled. "And no. Nothing happened."

Well, that wasn't exactly true but just like his brother, Finn preferred to keep some things to himself for the time being.

Kurt nodded slowly. "So, how did it go, then?"

"Dude, Rachel's dads are cool and stuff but um, they're also madder than...well, I can't think of anything right now, but they're madder than some very, very mad thing."

The smaller teen smirked. "Did you think Rachel was _born_ the way she is? She had to get it from somewhere."

"Uh, yeah. Now I get it." Finn nodded. "It was really strange, y'know. I mean, I thought they'd be grilling us and trying to talk us out of it but they practically pushed us into Rachel's bedroom and told us to have 'Teenage Lovemaking' while they went to the movies."

Kurt almost choked on his coke. "You're kidding."

"I wish. But then it fell through cuz I had this huge fight with Rach over the bathroom," Finn recounted. "I really had to go and she wouldn't let me."

Kurt chuckled lightly. "You've lived with me long enough, I thought you'd be used to fighting over the bathroom by now."

"Dude, but you always let me in in the end!" Finn objected.

"Yes, I'm just merciful that way," the countertenor said with an amused smile.

Finn sighed. "I'm beginning to see this really is one of those choices that stay with you forever…and it's not gonna be easy. You were right, man. But I'm still determined to make it work. Whenever I look into my future, whatever it is that I'm doing, Rachel's always there, man. Is it really so bad to wanna hold on to that?"

Kurt sighed. "No, Finn," he finally agreed. "It's not and I'm sorry for making you feel like it is."

"Don't be."

"No. While I still disapprove and can't promise I won't try to get this idea out of your head," he hedged, "-I should respect your decisions for what they are. You taking your life in your own hands, which I always wanted you to do. I'm sorry for not seeing that."

"Dude, seriously. I'm the one who put you in this position, forget it."

"It _is_ your fault, I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Oh, okay." Finn nodded.

"Brothers?" Kurt asked tentatively.

Finn gave him a grin. "So, um, do we hug now?"

"Nah, I think we're too inhibited."

"Screw inhibited, dude," the taller teen decided and pulled him into a tight, rough hug.

"One more thing," Kurt said, pulling away. "If you call me dude one more time, I swear I'm going to hurl something at your head."

"If I let you, will you come to the wedding?"

"Just because I said I respect your decision, it doesn't I'm going to go along with it," Kurt replied. "And what about Rachel?"

"Du- Kurt, do you honestly think she'd pass up on an opportunity to dress you up in a bridesmaid's gown?"

Kurt blinked. "Finn, you know that was just a slip of the tongue, right? Never, and I mean _never ever in a million years_, would I let Rachel Berry as much as pick a tie for me."

"So if I convince her not to make you wear a dress, will you come?"

"I'm touched," the smaller teen replied wryly and sighed. "Sweetie, I truly appreciate this, I really do but I have to think about it. Are…could you be okay with this?" he asked softly.

"I guess. Just…don't take too long, okay?"

**XxXxXxX**

In the morning, Finn stumbled out of his room to find his baggiest, most worn and totally beloved pair of jeans that Kurt had so mercilessly criticized just the previous day, neatly patched up and ironed on his threshold. He picked them up almost reverently. They looked better than new. He glanced across the corridor and smiled.

They still weren't okay but he knew they would get there. They always did in the end.

This was just a bump in the road.

* * *

So, slightly more angsty and bitter-sweet than usual but I felt the episode (at least Kurt's side of things) demanded it…I hope you've enjoyed it nonetheless. And I know Finn and Rachel actually walked into Breadstix when the party was already in full swing but I hope you don't mind me bending the time-space continuum a little;)

Have a great Sunday and till next time.


	61. 3X14: Life's Too Short

**Odds and Ends**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, nothing still.

**A/N: **Hello, guys! Long time, no see, I know:/ I'm really sorry this took so long to write! I missed you all and I missed this story but apart from RL completely ambushing me and swallowing me whole, I guess I needed time to really process the episode – it touched upon so many delicate, heart-breaking subjects and I really wanted to do it justice. I hope you'll forgive me and this looong chapter makes up for it!

**A/N2: **Spoilers for 'On My Way' ahead! I was completely unspoiled for the episode so I was basically stunned for most of it and all the developments. So, yeah, it was one crazy ride.

There was a lot of powerful material in this episode, and great acting, and even some funny scenes (the Hummels and Berries trying to stop the wedding!). The only problem I had was with how no one Kurt knew told him that he had nothing to feel guilty about. I can understand why he would, but he has a supportive father, friends and a boyfriend, he shouldn't have to turn to the God squad (he's an atheist!) or have only Dave tell him that it wasn't his fault.

On a more cheerful note, I was looking for Kurt during the pre-wedding rush and was so relieved to see him there with the girls and Blaine! I was a little afraid he wouldn't be there based on the looks he kept throwing in Finn and Rachel's direction the whole episode. With everything that's been going on I do understand some things had to be brushed over but I'd really love even the smallest scene between Finn and Kurt (like the one between Quinn and Rachel). Still, that's what fiction's for so here we go.

**A/N3:** Any 'Sherlock' fans out there? If so, this one is for you - there are a few references b/c I just couldn't help myself - kudos to you if you get them!

* * *

**Life's Too Short**

In every film, every TV show, every book and every song, there's always the right answer pre-planned in a script or lyric or sentence. In reality, there's rarely the luxury of such a lifeline. So when Kurt tried to come up with what he could possibly say to Dave when – if – he finally mustered up the courage to go see him, he came up with nothing. Or rather, he came up with a lot of different things but they all seemed wrong and pitiful and so unbearably _mundane_.

As soon as he crossed the threshold of the Hudmel house, mundane gained a new dimension, though, with the sight of one Finn Hudson standing in the hall looking at him hopefully like a faithful puppy. Well, a six foot puppy bred by gorillas.

Kurt sighed and demonstratively turned his back on him, reaching to take his coat off. He had a really short fuse lately and he didn't want to take it out on his stepbrother just because he was an easy target. However if he spoke, that would be a totally different-

"Did you get my Cheetos?" Finn asked and Kurt's lips twisted almost subconsciously.

He slowly turned around to face the other teen and gave him a knowing look. "You stood in the window the whole time I was gone, didn't you?"

"Dude, that would be crazy!" Finn objected. "I went to the bathroom for a couple of minutes."

The countertenor shook his head, fixing him with a disbelieving stare.

Finn shrugged. "You know I need my Cheetos."

"Yes, however would you cope without clogging your arteries for a whole day?" Kurt asked with his usual acerbity.

The taller boy grinned. "I'd find a way," he deadpanned. Then he took a while to takehis stepbrother in more carefully and frowned. "Dude, where _is _the shopping? Did you leave it in the car? D'you need help bringing it in?"

"I didn't get the shopping," Kurt replied curtly, averting his gaze and movingto undo his shoes.

"What? Why not?"

"Because I had a row at the shop," the countertenor replied impatiently and looked up at Finn with a frown. "With the ATM machine."

Finn blinked. "You had a row," he echoed slowly, his eyebrows going up to meet his hairline. "With a machine."

"Sort of." Kurt sighed and straightened up, neatly putting his shoes away. "It sat there and I shouted abuse."

The taller teen tried to keep a straight face as he looked at Kurt's obviously disconcerted expression. "Dude, what's up with you?" he asked. "Yesterday you almost side-kicked a middle-schoolercuz she was _standing_ next to a pair of pants you wanted-"

"They were Calvin Klein and the last in my size. She was lucky I didn't have my sais on me," Kurt put in darkly.

"-and in the morning you dumped bacon on Burt's head because he wouldn't eat the grapefruit you'd prepared for him," Finn recounted, ignoring his brother's comment. "Again!"

"Greasy food is bad for you," Kurt replied without the slightest hint of remorse. "In so many ways."

Finn looked at him in silence and before he could think, a question that had been on his mind for some time came blundering out of his mouth, "It's Karofsky, isn't it?"

Kurt's head whipped up, several expressions chasing across his features more quickly than Finn could identify.

"I mean, it got to all of us but you especially, didn't it? I mean, with the history you and he have-" he let his voice trail off, shoving his hands into his pockets with unease.

Something flashed behind the smaller teen's eyes and Finn took it for surprise.

"Dude, I notice things, okay?" he said. "When it comes to you, I mean. I did the mistake of not paying enough attention once and I ended up losing you for a whole semester," hecontinued soulfully and locked gazes with his brother."I'm not doing the same mistake again."

"Finn, that's really sweet but I'm…okay," he tried to brush Finn off but the look the other boy gave him made it clear he shouldn't have bothered. Finn was growing way too perceptive these days.

"I totally get it if you don't want to talk to me about it," he assured, carefully angling for words. "I guess _I_ wouldn't want to talk to me about it," he added with a self-deprecating upwards tick of his lips. "But you really…should talk to _someone_. And, uh, just know I'm here for uh, just- whatever. Whatever you need, man."

Kurt bit his lip, his mind flashing back to the quite jarring if also somewhat comforting exchange with the God Squad and comparing it to the concern and warmth in Finn's eyes. He sighed.

"I did talk to someone."

"Oh. O- okay. That's good," the taller teen mumbled.

"Is it?" The countertenor gave him a doubtful look. Finn tried to convey as much support and sympathyas he couldbut the smaller teenlooked away, retreating inside his head, his thoughts clearly unhappy ones.

Kurt knew he had Blaine, his dad, Carole and Finn among many others to help him deal with this but in that particular moment he hadn'timmediately thought of them. The last time he felt so shaken was when he'd almost lost his Dad and, even though he was proudly atheist, it were the Christian members of Glee that gave him some comfort at that time, even though he had initially rejected it. So now that his life had been emotionally slammed in a similar way again, it somehow felt right on some level to seek comfort from them at first. Now, however, confronted with his brother's warm and caring eyes, Kurt knew he should have searched the comfort of his boyfriend and family above all. He didn't have to cope with all of this, all of the _guilt _alone and maybe, just maybe, they could help him glean some understanding of how such a thing could happen – how someone could get to the point where the only way out seemed to be-Cold shivers ran up and down his spine. He knew that point, though. He knew better than most what it was like. The feeling of being alone in the hopelessness. The isolation. The edge of precipice they all led to. If it hadn't been for the Glee Club and his Dad, and Finn and Blaine, God knows what he-

He felt his legs give and he slid down the wall, slumping onto the floor. He brought his knees up to his chin and hid his face in his hands, taking a deep breath.

Finn's first impulse was to catch him but seeing Kurt didn't have an epileptic fit or something but did it on purpose, he slipped down onto the floor right next to him.

"Dude, what's wrong?" he asked concernedly, softly nudging him with his arm.

Kurt took a while before raising his head and meeting his brother's patient, gentle gaze.

"It's my fault," he stated with finality, a look of deep sorrow mixed with agitation flashing across his face and lodging in his eyes.

"O-kay. It's your fault," Finn said slowly, staring at his brother's face carefully and scrutinizing him. "Um. What exactly?"

Kurt's eyes shimmered but he didn't cry. "Dave."

"What?" The taller teen stiffened at that. "Like hell it is!" he exclaimed fiercely then calmed down a little, giving the countertenor a sidelong glance. "That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard and that's saying something cuz I have history with _Puck_, dude!"

Kurt snorted mirthlessly. "You don't understand, Finn," he said darkly.

"No, I really don't," Finn agreed. "So, care to explain?"

"I'd really rather not." The smaller teen drew his lips into a thin line, his gaze flickering to the floor. The message was clearbut Finn wasn't giving up this easy.

"Dude, the guy made your life hell, drove you away from McKinley and _threatened your life_ but you refused to out him or do anything to harm him in any way, and Cheesus knows he deserved it," he continued angrily. It gutted him to see Kurt this miserable and he couldn't stand the thought that he was tormenting himself by thinking what happened to Karofsky was somehow his fault. Anger mixed with concern fuelled his impromptu speech further. "And when you came back you were nothing but nice and kind to him! You reached out to him and you _forgave_ him. You did more than his frigging parents, man!" he said emphatically and Kurt finally raised his head to meet his gaze. "So I _need_ you to explain to mebecause I simply can't wrap my head around how _you_, probably the kindest and most forgiving person in his life, can think _you're_ guilty of this!" he finished heatedly. "Hell, you're probably the only reason he held out for so long!"

A black feeling welled up in Kurt at that and he let out a dark, bitter laugh. "You make me sound like I'm some kind of a hero or saint, Finn. There are no such persons and even if there were, I certainly wouldn't be one of them," he said, turning his bright gaze at the other boy. "Dave needed my help and I turned him down."

Finn blinked. "I seriously don't believe that."

Kurt shook his head. "My secret admirer on Valentine's? It wasn't Blaine."

"So the whole gorilla-thing…?" Finn mumbled. Kurt could practically see the wheels churning in his head. "It was _Karofsky_?" he asked, giving his stepbrother an incredulous glance.

Kurt nodded. "He- he told me he was in love with me and wanted us to be together. I tried to let him down gently but when he wouldn't stop calling and texting me, I…I cut him off. I was confused and didn't know what to do- I guess I just didn't want to send him mixed messages…and now I have to live with the fact that if I'd just have the courage and guts to answer one of those calls or texts, I could have prevented all this."

Finn stared at him, trying to process everything and holding himself back from bashing his head against the wall because he still couldn't comprehend how any of that made Kurt guilty.

"God, he must have been so alone and afraid and I was the only confidant he had left and I just...oh God," Kurt's agitated voice brought Finn back from inside his head.

He was now in full meltdown mode and the taller teen stood up quickly and bodily hauled him to his feet. "Dude, stop it," he urged softly, gripping him by the arms. "You're talking crazy, man. You thought Karofsky couldn't take a hint and you wanted to spare yourself and him embarrassment and humiliation. Frankly, you've dealt with this in probably the kindest way there could you have known it was more than Karofsky just trying to hook up?"

"The state he was in when he was leaving Breadstix…I should have known!"Kurt exclaimed, giving up on his voice and letting it emerge choked and broken. "I should have answered one of the frigging phones but I was too chicken to and Dave paid for it. It's my fault, Finn!"

Finn clenched his teeth, feeling helpless and very much out of his depth. He was _so_ not the right person to deal with this. Where was Blaine or Burt when you needed them? Still, it was Kurt and he would be damned if he didn't do his best to help.

"There's _no way_ you could have known!" he tried again but Kurt just shook his head. The taller teen took a deep breath. "Dude, by your thinking, it's also the fault of the company that made Dave's belt and Ikea's for making the stool!"

"It's not the same."

Finn sighed. "Kurt, you're an extraordinary person but you're still just a _teenage boy_," he emphasized. "Please don't put all this responsibility on your shoulders cuz it's not yours to bear, man."

Kurt swallowed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I feel like my life is a tray with objects carefully placed upon it with everything in its place…and this…this feels like someone's slammed the tray up from the bottom and suddenly everything flew up."

Finn nodded, deciding it was time to use more forceful measures. "Yeah, had that one once, too," he said, a slow smile spreading over his lips. "And I think I have a cure for that."

Kurt managed to quirk his eyebrows before he realized he was being swept off the ground and thrown over Finn's shoulder.A muffled 'oomph' escaped his lips.

"Finn, what the-" he uttered once he got his breath back. "Put me down this instant!"

"No can do, buddy."

"Where are you taking me!" Kurt demanded, pounding his fists on Finn's back. "I'm in no mood for your goofing around, you Cheetos-scarfing, insensitive...brain fart!"

"No goofing, I promise."

"Let me go!"

"Nope, sorry, don't trust you not to run." Finn chuckled lightly and continued his ascent towards the first floor. Then he did a double take. "Dude, did you just call me a _brain fart_?"

Kurt huffed, crossing his hands, which admittedly wasn't easy in his current position hanging off of Finn's back but it still gave him some comfort. "For lack of a better insult," he admitted with a pout.

Finn let out another chuckle and the countertenor let his hands down, knowing full well resistance was futile by this point. A couple steps more and Finn was depositing him on his bed.

"Wait here, I'll be right back," he ordered, going back through the door.

"Oh, I'll be waiting all right," Kurt said shooting him a death glare. "With my sai swords."

Finn looked slightly alarmed but mustered a nonchalant grin nonetheless. "Just put something comfy on. You're not gonna regret this, man, I promise."

The smaller teen fixed him with a look. "I already am."

Finn ignored him and disappeared in the corridor. Despite his scepticism, Kurt shed his school clothes, if only to prevent his gorilla of a stepbrother from ruffling them even more, and slipped into sweatpants and a tee. He was dreaming of a warm, relaxing lavender bubble bath but he knew Finn wasn't done. He could lock himself up but considering Finn's apparent determination and the fact that he had learned how to pick locks lately (though with Puck as a friend Kurt was surprised it had taken him so long to pick that up, pun intended), he knew it was a sighed, deciding he just didn't have it in him that day to prepare a bear trap at the door and he flopped onto his bed.

Sometime later Finn climbed back upstairs and pushed his way into Kurt's room warily, prepared for the worst, but the countertenor was just lying on his bed with his back to him.

"Um, no swords? No booby traps?" he asked tentatively. "Dude, I'm almost disappointed."

"I know," the smaller teen agreed. "Gaga, I'm really in bad shape, I couldn't even stay mad with you long enough to get the swords," he added, not moving from his position on the bed.

"So…you're not mad at me?"

"That's what I said, Finnegan," Kurt replied, his voice coming slightly muffled through his pillow. "Why? Should I be?"

"Then why won't you look at me?"

"Because sadly, I'm remarkably well acquainted with your face," the countertenor said with an eye roll, only then realizing Finn couldn't see his expression.

"You're sulking," the taller teen observed.

"I'm not _sulking_," Kurt emphasized, burying his head deeper into his pillow. "I'm trying to sleep," he added pointedly.

"In that case, you can sleep later," Finn decided.

"_In that case_, I _am_ sulking," the smaller teen shot back. "Big time. So go away."

"Don't you wanna know what my surprise is?"

Kurt let out a martyred groan and hoisted himself to a sitting position to regard his brother. "Excuse me for being somewhat less than excited but your surprises tend to be-" Kurt let his voice trail as his eyes zoned in on the two mugs in Finn's hands. "Milk? Seriously?" he asked. "_That's_ your big surprise? Your cure to all evil? How anticlimactic."

"The climate has nothing to do with it," the quarterback replied nonplussed. "And it's not milk. This called for special measures."

"If you've broken into Dad's liquor cabinet, you are _so_ dead."

Finn chuckled. "It crossed my mind but then I got to thinking-"

"That must have been a tremendous strain," Kurt interrupted snidely.

The taller teen shot him a reproachful glance but continued without a hitch, "-and I remembered Burt saying he would make anyone who touched it into shoes so, um, I decided to go for something else."

"How astute of you," Kurt remarked dryly.

Ignoring what was probably another quip (he couldn't be sure, though, as always when Kurt used big words), Finn came closer and thrust the steaming mug into the other teen's hands with a shy smile. Kurt sniffed at it suspiciously.

"Chocolate?" he asked, raising his eyes.

"Yeah. The real stuff you keep hidden in the pantry," Finn concurred with an impish curl of his lips. "With five marshmallows," he added. "Just like your Mom used to make, right?"

Kurt blinked. "You- remembered?" he uttered softly, cradling the mug in his hands.

"Dude, I may not remember that the Earth goes round the sun but I make it a point to remember what cheers you up. I mean, that's what brothers do. That and annoying the hell out of each other," he added wryly as an afterthought.

"You seem to have both down perfectly," Kurt observed but there was no sting in his tone. He took a sip and smiled at Finn warmly, which the other boy took as invitation to awkwardly flop onto the bed next to him, spilling some of the chocolate onto his shirt front and hands.

The countertenor shook his head. "Ah, as always, the epitome of grace and finesse," he huffed good-naturedly.

"Like I have any idea what that means," Finn mumbled.

"Let me put it this way, then. These are three hundred thread count Egyptian cotton." Kurt said warningly and pointed at his bed linen, handing him a box of tissues. "You really don't want to get a single drop on them, believe me."

"Scary Kurt." Finn decided and went on to cleaning the chocolate, choosing to lick it off his palms rather than use the tissues. Kurt raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Can't let good chocolate go to waste!" he said defensively.

Shaking his head, Kurt put the tissues away and let out the softest of and almost impossibly so, he didn't feel so hopeless and isolated anymore. The guilt was still lodged around his heart and there was still considerable weight on his shoulders but it almost felt manageable now. Maybe the mundane wasn't so bad after all.

"Thank you," he said after a looked up at him quizzically. "For the ill-conceived man-handling attempt at stopping me from a meltdown even though I didn't ask you to. And for remembering about the marshmallows."

"You're welcome," the taller teen grinned. "So no more freak-outs or crazy-guilty talks? Cuz I don't wanna write 'Not Your Fault' on your forehead with a sharpie but I will do it if I have to."

"Finn Hudson, if you ever even _think_ of doing such a thing, I will sneak up into your room in the middle of the night and shave off your eyebrows with a blunt tool," he said with a glare and Finn's eyes grew big.

"Um, what's more than scary?"

"Me."

Finn gulped. Kurt seemed to be satisfied enough with the look of horror on his face because he nodded and relaxed somewhat, letting out a deep breath. Noticing that, Finn seemed to relax, too.

"So what was it down in the hall, man?" he asked tentatively.

The countertenor remained silent, staring into his mug like it contained the secrets of the universe.

"Dude?" the taller teen prompted.

"Nothing," Kurt finally mumbled.

Finn shook his head. "Not gonna fly, dude. You're really good at hiding stuff and a great actor but you're not fooling me. I know you, remember?"

"Coming from you, that is a scary thing to say," Kurt quipped. "And also oddly reassuring." Under the weight of Finn's unwavering gaze, he sighed, knowing he wasn't getting out of this easy. Another thing was, he didn't want to."It's just that...Dave's situation really resonated with me and it's not just because of our history," he looked back into his mug, swirling the liquid slowly. "Before sophomore year, before Glee, I _was_ him, Finn.I was closeted, I was bullied and I had zero friends. I was _so_ unhappy and miserable."

He looked at the other boy, expecting pity, but was greeted with nothing but a look of heartbroken warmth. He felt his chest tighten at the openness in Finn's eyes.

He managed a half-smile and continued with renewed confidence, "Still, I always had one rock, this one life-line that kept my head above the water. My Dad. He saved me. And when I think I could have been that for Dave, that I could have prevented this, I can't help but feel so, _so _incredibly responsible and guilty. I've been in that place, Finn, and I should have seen the signs."

"Dude, do you even _hear_ yourself?" the taller teen asked with disbelief. "Karofsky was your worst bully and made your life a living hell. You had no obligation towards him apart from kicking him in the 'nads and yet you blame yourself for not knowing _his inner thoughts_?"

One corner of Kurt's lips went upwards. "Well, it does sound irrational if you put it like that."

"That's cuz it is!" Finn said. "Um, what's irrational?"

The countertenor shook his head and ruffled his hair. Finn didn't protest, anything was better than the guilt-ridden sad expression on his brother's face.

They sat together in silence, Finn's knee delicately touching Kurt's. Neither would admit it aloud but they both drew comfort from the closeness of the other. No more words were exchanged for a good long while. None had to be. Kurt found they always communicated best without words anyway.

Finally Finn shot him a curious glance, weighing something in his mind.

"D'you want, like, to have a go at my drums?" he offered. "It always helps me to unload like, negative energy and stuff that's bothering me."

"Finn, I'd rather put out a camp fire with my face," Kurt replied snidely but his smile contradicted his tone. "But thank you. That's…very sweet of you. I know you won't let even Rachel touch your precious drums."

"Yeah, well, she's a girl. Drums are a man's instrument."

"That was incredibly sexist," Kurt said, shooting him a sidelong glance, "-and possibly one of the nicest things anyone has said to me in a while."

"So…I managed to offend all women and compliment you in one sentence?"

"I seriously don't know how you do it."

"I'm just talented that way," Finn replied with a nonchalant grin.

"Just don't try it in front of Rachel. She might not feel the same way."

Finn chuckled. Kurt put his mug away and brought himself closer to him, using the other boy's chest as a pillow. He usually shied away from so much physical contact but this time he really needed it and Finn was there being, well…_Finn_ – big and warm and _safe_. Eventually he dozed off, soothed by the regular beat of the steadiest heart he knew.

Finn tried not chuckle as he watched Kurt fight a losing battle with his drooping eyelids and finally succumb to sleep. When he was sure the smaller teen was asleep, he reached for his phone, weighing in his mind how much flack he'd get from his brother for recording this but thought better of it and settled on shooting off a quick text. Then he settled a bit more comfortably and looked down. The sight really was record-worthy, for Kurt was completely open and vulnerable now and Finn was allowed to catch one of those fleeting glimpses of him without his usual haughty veneer and prissy attitude. Kurt was such a parade ox to him (that _was_ the right expression, wasn't it?) – he was so full of contradictions, tough and fierce on the outside but on the inside he was the most brittle, delicate human being he had ever known. He rarely lay down his armor and looking at him now as he lay curled up into his side like a kitten with a look of utter serenity on his face, Finn felt a surge of warmth go through him, a sudden strongneedto be the protector that Kurt had always seen him as.

He registered his arm was starting to fall asleep but no way was he going to move and risk waking Kurt up. After last days' events, he needed all the rest he could get. He closed his eyes and began to drift off himself. He had no idea if minutes or hours had passed when there was a gentle knock on the head snapped up just to see Blaine sneak inside.

He smiled widely at the black-haired boy. "Hi, man," he greeted him in a whisper as his eyes wandered over to the clock on the wall. minutes it was. "Wow, you made it in record time."

Blaine turned his concerned gaze at his dozing boyfriend. "You texted it's about Kurt."

"Blaine?" At that moment the countertenor turned around, sleep-heavy eyes popping open and zoning in on the short teen. "You…texted Blaine?" he asked Finn.

"Of course, dude! I mean, Blaine's smart and he's the Kurt Whisperer," Finn said defensively. "And I'm nowhere near as good at the cheering up and feelings stuff."

"Well, for someone who has the sensitivity of a boiled potato, you were doing pretty well."A hint of his characteristic smugness crept into Kurt's voice and Finn felt a smile tug at his lips at hearing it.

Somehow, the way Kurt teasedhim was quite reassuring. Blaine seemed to think so, too, because he chuckled and gave Finn the smallest of winks. Then he came up to the bed and perched on the other side of Kurt.

"Mind if I take over?" he asked, looking at Finn.

"Totally, man. I mean, he clings on like a leech and I'm pretty sure my arm's gonna fall off any second."

"Tell me about it. And he doesn't even look the cuddling type, does he?" Blaine agreed wryly.

"I can hear you, you know," came Kurt's muffled if still audibly disgruntled voice.

Both boys exchanged amused glances.

"That's kinda the point," Blaine said wryly.

Kurt raised his head from his pillow and stared them both down, which was quite a feat, Finn thought, considering he was lying down and they were sitting.

"Blaine Anderson, don't you get smart with both know who's the Cuddle Monster in this relationship," he added, his eyes narrowed."And you, Finn Hudson…you are possibly the most infuriating, annoying-" Finn seemed to shrink in on himself. "-sweet and incredible brother in the world," Kurtfinished, giving him a wide smile before sinking into the comfort of Blaine's waiting arms.

Blaine looked over Kurt's shoulder and mouthed a silent 'thank you' in Finn's direction. The quarterback gave him a thumbs up and slipped out of the room, thethought that maybe he wasn't so hopeless in the feelingsdepartmentbringing a smile onto his face.

**XxXxXxX**

Finn looked at himself in the mirror and took a deep breath. It was happening. It was _really_ happening. He was getting married to Rachel.

"The happiest day of my life," he muttered and grinned at himself, and even if the grin didn't look entirely sincere, it was just the nerves. Right?

It was completely normal that his hands were shaking so bad he couldn't tie his damn tie, his heart was pounding in his chest and he was suddenly feeling very hot and not in a good way. He reached for the tie again but all he managed to do was almost cut the blood flow to his head _again _and make a royal mess out of it _again_. He groaned. Maybe he should just give up on the damned thing and-

"Finn, everybody's waiting-" came from the doorway, followed by a deep sigh. "After all the Glee competitions, all the weddings and all the family get-togethers, here we are again."

Finn looked into the mirror and over his shoulder where he could see Kurt's tuxedoed silhouette leaning against the doorjamb. His brother was giving him a half-amused, half-exasperated glance and he couldn't help but huff as he let his hands hang loose along his sides.

"In a sense I guess it's comforting to know some things never change," the countertenor continued in a conversational tone as he came closer to stand at Finn's side and gave him a pointed glance in the mirror.

The taller teen pouted. "It's your fault, y'know. It's you who always insists I can't wear clip-ons."

"That's because they're so nineties and just plain trashy, Finnegan," Kurt said just as he motioned for him to face him and started on his tie with a practiced ease.

"Rachel has nothing against them!"

"Precisely." Kurt levelled him down with his stare, his fingers not stopping their swift work on the tie. "There," he said after a moment with a satisfied nod and stepped away.

"Thanks, man," Finn said, offering him a grateful, if somewhat tight-lipped smile, as he glanced at himself in the mirror and looked at the perfect knot at his neck. "It's incredible."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It's really not rocket science, Finn. Why can't you just learn it once and for all? I guarantee it's one of those things that _do_ come in useful later in life."

"Unlike math or English?" Finn said and Kurt snorted. "Dude, what for when I've got you?" he asked cheekily.

"I won't always be there to tie your ties, Finn," Kurt said softly and averted his eyes.

Finn turned around and considered him with a frown. Kurt was looking down, his fingers fiddling with the white rose in his lapel.

"Are you okay, dude?"

"Of course I'm okay," Kurt snapped. "Well, as okay as I can be when I'm about to witness my brother and best friend do something _really stupid_."

Finn rolled his eyes. He had reconciled himself with the fact that Kurt still wasn't on board with the whole thing. Still, he was _here_ and if Finn had to take a few jabs, he would take it. It was worth it.

"Are you sure? Cuz you're about to squish that rose," he said with an amused smile and indicated Kurt's lapel, which the other boy was gripping in a vice-like grip.

The countertenor looked at it in surprise and let his hand fall to his side, keeping his head down. Finn frowned and came closer to him, tipping his chin up.

"Dude, are you _crying_?" he asked shocked, taking in the other boy's features with a frown. "I- I'll get you a new rose! Rach has plenty more!"

Kurt scoffed. "I'm not crying."

Finn ignored him. "Is it the wedding? Cuz in that case, aren't you supposed to cry _during_ not before?"

"_I'm not crying_," the countertenor enunciated. "And even if I was, it wouldn't be because of you and your wedding, you lummox."

"So it would be because...?" he let his voice hang. "Did you have a huge onion for lunch or something?"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Finnegan, does food ever leave your mind?"

"That was like, rhythmical, right?"

"Rhetorical. Yes."

"You still haven't answered me," the taller teen persisted. "If you were crying, which you aren't, why would you? Does it have anything to do with you disappearing after Regionals?"

"How do you know I-" Kurt narrowed his eyes at him. "You're taking the whole 'having an eye on Kurt' thing really seriously, aren't you?"

"Yup." Finn nodded. "In fact, I wanted to go after you but Rachel insisted I give you your space."

"How uncharacteristically thoughtful of her."

"So...where were you?"

The smaller teen sighed. "Making amends...and friends," he said and locked gazes with Finn. "I spoke to Dave."

The taller teen nodded slowly. "And?"

"He's going to be fine," Kurt stated with conviction.

"That's…that's really good, Kurt," Finn said. "And you?" he added tentatively.

The countertenor smiled. "Yes. I believe I will," he answered, that rare smile that lit up all his face creasing his lips. "Thanks for the concern but I'm not the important one today so the question is, are you?"

Finn nodded and subconsciously, his hand went up to loosen his collar. "Of course. Why?"

"I'm not so sure about that," Kurt observed, watching his movements.

"Uh, is this supposed to be so tight?"

"It's _form-fitting_, Finn."

"Well, it's choking me."

Kurt gave him a knowing glance. "I don't think it's the suit," he decided, taking his stepbrother's expression in. "Are you having second thoughts?" he asked slowly. "Because if you aren't one hundred per cent sure of this-"

"It's nothing," Finn interrupted him curtly. "It's just wedding jitters or nerves or something. I want this, Kurt. I mean, I love Rach and want to spend my life with her so why wait?"

"Actually, I have a list," the smaller teen replied, crossing his hands. "I'm up to twenty three reasons if you'd like to hear it."

Finn shook his head, his eyes growing big.

"_Twenty three_? Seriously?" he asked, feeling even hotter. "Dude, did anyone ever die of wedding fever? Oh my God, I've got black spots in front of my eyes and I think I'm gonna-"

"They're flies, Finn," Kurt replied unfazed. "This-" he motioned at his suit, "-is Westwood so if you faint, I am _not_ catching you."

"Dude, I can't do this!" he uttered in a panicky tone, not hearing a word Kurt had said.

"That is the smartest thing you've said all week."

"No, I mean I…I can't move."

Kurt rolled his eyes but seeing Finn was getting really pale and sweaty, he knew he had to put all his reservations and objections aside and just be Finn's brother.

"Finn. Finn!" he knelt in front of him and put his hands on his shoulders. "Look at me! Think about Rachel."

"Ohmigod, _Rachel._"

Kurt took a deep breath. "Think about Regionals and Rachel's solo. When she was singing, she was singing it to you and no one but you. You remember how you felt then?" he asked softly.

Finn nodded slowly, surprise flashing over his features.

Kurt gave him a lopsided smile. "You were grinning like an idiot. A blind man would notice, Finn," he answered the unasked question. "Everyone could see how happy she was. _You_ make her happy, Finn, and she does you. That's what this is about. To keep with you the person who makes you special, who makes you _better_, and offer yourself to them in return. And that's what you want, isn't it?"

"Y-yes," Finn uttered.

"Good." Kurt nodded with a small smile. "And now you really need to breathe, Finn."

"Thank you."

"No problem. If you ever need to be reminded to breathe again, you know my number."

"No, seriously, man. _Thank you_. I thought you'd jump at the first opportunity to try and change my mind."

"It crossed my mind, just like the idea of ambushing you and closing you somewhere in a closet, but I thought better of it," Kurt replied with a shrug.

Finn regarded him carefully, his eyebrows knitting together. "Um…_why?_"

"I'm still mad at you but I know a lost cause when I see one," Kurt said evenly. "You can be stubborn as a mule and I think I'd have more success reasoning with a wall."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the taller teen deadpanned, then lowered his gaze. "Dude, I know you disapprove but it just feels right. Panic attacks aside, I'm a hundred per cent sure of this."

Kurt regarded him seriously and seemed to have come to some sort of a decision. "Then I believe you should go get her."

Finn blinked. "Okay, who are you and what have you done to Kurt?"

"I'm exactly as I was," the smaller teen replied. "But someone much wiser than he lets on had me realize one very important thing today."

"Oh?"

"Life's too short," Kurt added softly.

Finn gulped, the look in Kurt's eyes telling him much more than any words ever would.

"You...you were listening?"

"You do have your moments, Finn. Not many of them but you do," the smaller teen said. "And you honestly didn't think I'd be so petty as to miss my only brother's wedding because of my ego."

"Well-"

Kurt sniffed. "Your faith in me is truly reassuring," he said and looked at his watch. "I'd better get back to the girls, I left Blaine all alone with them," he informed him.

Finn nodded, a sharp uncertain gesture.

"Will you be okay?"

"Yeah. Of course."

Kurt sighed.

"You'd better be because if you don't get your ass in there in the next five minutes, Rachel will start freaking out on us poor innocent bystanders," he warned. "And then I'll have to come back here, break off both your arms and make you carry them home in your teeth."

Finn didn't blink. "Promise?"

Kurt tried to stop the smile creasing his lips but it was a losing battle. "I'm still mad, you know," he said.

"I thought you didn't have the energy."

"Oh, I'll always muster the energy for that."

"Does it make me strange that I find this kinda comforting?"

"It does," Kurt confirmed. "But I wouldn't change it for anything," he added.

Finn nodded and turned back to the mirror. He made a couple of ninja moves at his reflection, putting on a Very Dangerous Yet Cool Frown.

"Brilliant."

Finn turned around. Kurt was still there, watching him with amusement. "Um, really?"

"Yes. A brilliant impression of a moron."

"Love you, too, man."

Kurt snorted and went out the door. "Finn?" he said, turning on his heel. "Good luck," he said softly.

Finn nodded, feeling a wave of confidence wash over him. Those two simple words of support from Kurt meant more than a thousand from anyone else.

_Let's do this_, he thought to himself and stepped out into the corridor.

* * *

And now still 2 weeks of hiatus left...FOX overlords really are cruel to leave us hanging this long! Regarding that, my question to you is, would you like some more Furt during that time or should I lay off? I'm asking b/c I've noticed that the reviews for the last chapters have fallen and I'm starting to worry this story is boring you and you're getting fed up with me, guys!

You should know that your reviews provide invaluable feedback and are the greatest source of motivation and inspiration for me and I would truly appreciate it if you took the time to drop me a line from time to time, even if it's just to say 'it was okay' or 'it didn't suck this bad':)

Have a great Sunday!


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